Tangled Web
by SakuraJade
Summary: Why is Artemis really on the Team? Wally might not like the answer, especially after his feelings for the enigmatic archer begin to change. The truth is rarely pure and never simple... Spitfire pairing. Thru ep 10 then AU. *Reviews contain spoilers*
1. Damaged

**A/N: **Since I totally love YJ and have read so many great YJ fanfics, I decided to write one to return the favor :) Hopefully I succeed in entertaining some of you who have entertained me! I will admit now though that I don't follow any of the DC comics and so any background that might be used has been gathered from the internet. So please bear with me on that. This is basically my "what part is Artemis really playing" theory. I haven't come across any other stories that use this theory so I figured I might as well share it. Though we haven't seen ep 10 yet (come on June 3rd already!), I'm kind of basing the start of this after "Targets" with the assumption that the team will interact with Red Arrow during that ep (and then it can be assume that this skews into AU). That also means my time stamps might not coincide with the ones that will be in that ep. Okay, on with the story :)

**Update 6/21/2011:** Episode 10, "Targets" is now available on youtube (despite still having yet to air on network tv, go figure). I watched it yesterday and, though I'm happy my time stamps are on target (no pun intended lol), the bases for this story technically doesn't match up since, when I wrote it, I was under the impression that most of the members of the YJ team would be present on the mission (namely Kid Flash and Artemis), but they were not (only Aqualad helped Red Arrow actually, KF and Art weren't in the ep at all, much to my disappointment, although I wasn't surprised since they had a lot of screen time in the last ep). However, I found a way around the fact that KF didn't actually interact with RA in that ep that would keep the basis for this story intact. Therefore, I've since updated this chapter to reflect that. It doesn't really change anything, just makes it flow with canon better, which helps me sleep at night lol Okay, read on!

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice, DC Comics, Warner Bros., and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

**Rated T** for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

_Italics _mean thoughts

_Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive . . ._

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 1: Damaged_

**Mount Justice**

**September 10, 16:38 EDT**

Insufferable.

If there was only one word Atremis could choose to describe her teammate Wally West, a.k.a. Kid Flash, it was insufferable. Oh sure, there were a slew of other adjectives that could be used to describe him: incorrigible, annoying, irritating, the list was practically infinite. But if she had to choose just one it was insufferable, hands down.

Artemis stabbed an arrow into the rocky side of Mount Justice and pulled herself further up the steep slope. The others were down the beach, spending their Saturday afternoon enjoying the unusually warm September weather. She decided to do something a little more productive than "play in the sand," as Megan had suggested. That something ended up being to free climb the 100 foot mountain that encased their headquarters with nothing but two sturdy arrows of her own making. No safety rope, nothing. She wanted to do it completely on her own.

That was how she was supposed to do things: alone.

She was raised with the idea that the only person she could ever really count on was herself. True it made for a lonely upbringing, but it was one of the things that had made her so tough, so independent. Though it was a productive way to spend the afternoon, the silence left her mind to wander, and she didn't like that the current topic was her relationship issues with one Kid Idiot.

No matter what she did she couldn't win it seemed. After their recent mission in Bialya, even though Megan had restored their memories, she actually thought things might be different between her and Wally. At the time, with no memory of the last six months, Wally couldn't remember his dislike for her based on her "replacement" of Speedy, now Red Arrow, Green Arrow's former sidekick. Without that to go on, he was actually nice to her . . .

More than nice, he'd even called her beautiful, _twice._

Of course, being called "beautiful" by Wally wasn't really anything special. Though it clearly showed that he thought she was at least attractive physically, he threw compliments like that around to all kinds of women on a daily basis. Heck, the object of most of his flirting was an alien girl with green skin! Based on that, one could go so far as to say he didn't have very high standards. So it wasn't really surprising he called her "beautiful" when he thought she was a complete stranger. No, what was strange was that, when Megan finally found them roaming around the desert, he'd tried to make clear to Artemis that he had no prior relationship with the green-skinned sweetheart, acting as if it'd kill his chances with the archer, as preposterous as that was.

As much as she hated to waste time thinking of it, she couldn't help wondering if her relationship with Wally would have been drastically antithetic had they met differently. Originally he met Megan first and had immediately taken a liking to her. In the desert, he'd met Artemis first and he had seemed interested in her instead. Although to be fair, the whole Red Arrow issue was of no consequence either due to amnesia. Was he really so fickle that he'd try to attach himself to the first girl he came across? Or would he have taken a greater liking to her if it hadn't seemed like she took Red Arrow's place – a spot he didn't even want – on the team?

Artemis wasn't sure which case it was. One thing she did know was that the amnesia incident did prove one thing: that they could get along, really well in fact. But more so it proved that they could downright _trust_ each other, even when they didn't know a thing about the other. She was angry with herself for that.

Artemis gritted her teeth as she pulled the arrow in her left hand out of the rock wall and viciously thrust it in again, a foot higher than before.

How could she trust Wally so easily when, at the time, she didn't even know him? So what if he _said _he was a good guy? Considering his costume didn't even match that of Kid Flash's, the person he'd claimed to be when she came to in that decrepit shed, she had nothing but his _word _to go on! That shouldn't have been nearly enough!

And yet . . . it had been.

There was something about him that made her feel safe, like she was in good hands, like there was no reason not to believe what he told her. It completely went against all of her training to go with him so willingly, but she had anyway. Of course, it worked both ways. Despite the fact that she'd flat out suggested their predicament was a test from her dad, a test most likely meant for her to _kill_ him, Wally still took her with him and stuck by her without a second thought. Their time in the desert with amnesia had been short, but it had left a big impact. Whether they liked it or not, they'd _bonded_ out there in the sand dunes under the hot sun. That's why Artemis was certain their relationship was going to be different. She didn't expect them to suddenly be the best of friends or anything, she wasn't stupid, but she did expect something. And for a few days she thought she had been right.

And then, a few days ago, the team found out that Roy, Mr. Red Arrow himself, bit off more than he could chew, resulting in him contacting Aqualad for help. _Only _Aqualad and BAM! Wally was looking at her like she was nothing but a replacement again. It was like he blamed the fact that Red Arrow contacted Aqualad alone, rather than the team as a whole, on her status as a member, and it made her blood boil! It almost seemed like he'd forgotten he was supposed to be mean to Artemis in order to be loyal to Roy, and Red Arrow's lack of interest in calling Kid Flash for help reminded him of that. The worst part was that Artemis couldn't even fully begrudge him for his loyalty since it was such an admirable quality . . .

"Argh!" Artemis growled as she slammed the arrow in her right hand deep into the mountain in frustration.

She was right below the peak. Her slender fingers scratched for a hold in the solid surface, and with one more heave, she managed to pull herself atop. She knelt there, head down, muscles burning, hands and knees on the rough ground, panting. She needed to stop thinking about this. It was all irrelevant anyway. Wally's acceptance of her, or lack thereof, was completely inconsequential to her own mission. As long as her position on the team was believable that's all that counted. She wasn't there to make friends or develop a deep comradery with teens who experienced the crucible of combat with her. She sat down on the jagged mountaintop, one leg straight, the other bent up, one elbow resting on her knee as she stared at the evening sun's reflection in the ocean water below.

No, it wasn't about her or her feelings at all.

Her spot on the team was about the greater good. Because of that, she was better off not spending the day bonding with the others as Kadlur had wanted. They were better off not getting personal with her. Thanks to her father and her bitter past, she was never going to be good for anyone. She was damaged, probably beyond repair. She carried the scars of her father's "love" as proof. Getting to know them better wasn't just bad for them, it was bad for her. She already liked her teammates as it was, even Wally to some extent, and the more she liked them the harder it would be when the jig was up.

Back on the beach, Wally stood up from the ground and brushed the sand from his cargo shorts. Everyone had agreed to call it a day and head back into headquarters for dinner. As the team made their way toward the mountain, Wally noticed Artemis sitting at the very top, her signature blonde ponytail gently blowing in the breeze coming off the ocean. He wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Somebody should go retrieve Artemis," Kaldur suddenly broke the silence, his eyes on the figure atop the mountain as he spoke.

"I nominate Wally," Robin quickly said.

Wally threw him a scornful look and said, "Dude! Why do I hafta?"

"Because you're probably the reason she's up there in the first place," Robin stated matter-of-factly, a smirk planted firmly on his face.

Wally grumbled but headed for the back of the mountain all the same. That morning, as a training exercise, Black Canary had paired him with Artemis to spar in hand-to-hand combat. Wally, self conscious of the fact that Artemis typically fared better when super powers weren't used, had said he didn't see the reason in practicing with her when she was nothing but a replacement anyway, to which she replied "bite me" and stormed off. Black Canary proceeded to reprimand him in front of the rest of the group, telling him that Artemis was part of the team now and that he either needed to get on board or get off, before she dismissed him entirely. His words had been a little out of line, even he knew that, but it didn't make swallowing his pride and apologizing any easier, so he'd spent the greater part of the day avoiding her instead. Not that she'd sought him out or anything.

He ran a hand through his unruly red hair and sighed.

The worst part was that it really bothered him. Ever since their mishap in Bialya, upsetting Artemis didn't give him the satisfaction it used to. He'd even go so far as to say it made him feel bad. The Artemis he'd met in the desert grew on him instantly, but there was one crucial difference between that Artemis and this one: to his knowledge, the Artemis from the desert hadn't taken Red Arrow's place on their team. It was amazing how that one fact made a world of difference. Because that was taken out of the equation, he felt no animosity towards her whatsoever when she woke up in that shed. She was simply a mysterious and – he hated to admit it – beautiful teenager around his age. And so he'd been nice to her, she'd responded in kind, and together they had tried to make sense of their situation. After their desert escapade, Wally couldn't help feeling closer to her. He'd carried her around for the better part of the day and had even taken her hand in encouragement when Megan needed to enter their minds in order to restore their memories.

But getting his memories back meant remembering that she was the team's archer rather than Roy and that left Wally feeling torn between his old ties to Red Arrow and his new bond with Artemis. At first, the new bond was winning out, but Roy's disinterest in asking him for help when he was up against the League of Shadows solo in Taipei only made him feel like Red Arrow thought of him as a disloyal friend. Because of that, he felt guilty that he was beginning to like Artemis as a team member and even as a person. That led to him calling her Roy's "replacement" straight to her face and it most likely weighed in on her decision to spend the afternoon on her own. He was sure she wouldn't admit it, but he knew his comment hurt, he saw it reflected momentarily in her stormy, sapphire blue eyes before she turned away from him. He had a feeling her new reaction to his old comment was tied to their time in Bialya, similar to how her reaction made him feel bad.

At the base of the mountain, Wally looked at the top determinedly as he dug his feet into the sand firmly. Suddenly, he sprinted straight for the rocky face of the mountain, sand springing up on either side of him from the force, and his body was instantly vertical, his speed fast enough to defy gravity. With ease, he covered the traitorous terrain in a matter of seconds and found himself next to Artemis, who was standing with her back to him.

Hey!" Wally announced loudly as he suddenly appeared next to her.

Completely caught off guard, Artemis let out a startled gasp and spun around quickly in surprise. Her shock increased as she felt her entire body tilt, her foot slipping off the edge of the cliff.

"Whoa!" Wally shouted as his hand lashed out in a blur and securely latched onto her forearm. He gave a swift tug and the archer softly fell against him. He reached his other arm around her to steady them.

"That was a close one," he said before pulling back from his teammate enough to look at her face, which was pointing down at the ground. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Artemis mumbled as she shrugged out of his grasp. After all that climbing, she didn't have the energy to fight with him. "What are you doing up here?"

Wally's hand found its way to the back of his head and he sheepishly replied, "Kaldur sent me to get you. The team's headin' in for dinner." As he looked at Artemis he realized she had no equipment on her. He glanced around the small peak and saw nothing but two arrows lying on the ground a foot away. With a shake of his head he said, "Seriously? You climbed up here with nothing but two measly arrows?"

"Yeah, so?" she shot back, her arms crossing over her chest defensively.

"So, you didn't think about how you were going to get back down?" he asked with a smirk. And she called him stupid . . . "Tell you what, if you ask nicely, I_ might_ just be willing to bring you down," he offered, his voice smug.

Artemis waved him off. "No thanks, I've got it covered."

Before Wally could utter a rebuttal, she turned away from him and ran towards the edge.

"No, wait-" he began, a hand stretched out towards her, not truly believing what she was about to do.

Disregarding his words completely, her feet hit the edge and she sprang outward gracefully without sparing him a glance.

"Artemis!" Wally cried, eyes wide, as he watched the tip of her blonde ponytail disappear over the jagged cliff.

Before he could think better of it, he sprinted to the side and dove head first, following after her, gravity immediately pulling him downward the moment his feet left the stone. He wasn't clear as to what catching up to her would accomplish, he just knew he had to reach her. He figured it was the hero in him.

Artemis closed her eyes, reveling in the feel of the cool wind on her skin. She felt so alive, so free. If only she was free like this for real . . . She'd give anything to truly be liberated rather than the prisoner she was to circumstances that were beyond her control.

Wally sped towards Artemis. His heavier weight made catching up to her easy. As soon as she was within arm's reach he grabbed her, scaring her out of her wits for the second time in mere minutes. She hadn't been expecting him to jump after her!

"What are you-" she began, but her voice was muffled when her face made contact with his cotton covered chest. With his momentum still going, he held her close and rolled over so that they wouldn't land on their heads.

Their clothing and hair whipped about in a frenzy as the wind howled past them, ringing in their ears. Eyes watering, Wally gritted his teeth and tightened his hold on the archer as their bodies slammed into the ocean together. The watery landing was rougher than it would have been otherwise since they didn't fully break the water with their feet, and the resulting force was great enough to snap the elastic band that held Artemis's hair in a neat ponytail at the nap of her neck, causing her ample blonde locks to fan out in the chilly water. Despite having plunged into the ocean, Wally did not relinquish his hold on her. Together they broke the surface, spluttering. He immediately towed them towards the shore until his feet could at least touch the sandy floor, then he turned Artemis to face him, his fingers gripping her tone biceps, her long, thick hair floating around her. Half a head shorter than him, she had no choice but to let him hold on to her to keep her above the water.

"Are you crazy!" he suddenly yelled, his face not far from hers, the waves causing their bodies to bob up and down as they lapped at their chins. "What, are you trying to kill yourself or something?"

Artemis coughed some water out of her lungs before saying, "Don't be so stupid! It's called cliff diving! It's an actual sport! You're the one who made it dangerous. If you had tilted us anymore, we could have been seriously hurt when we hit the water!" When he had nothing to say to that she continued, "Besides, so what if I was attempting to commit suicide! What's it to you!"

"Because I care about you, that's why!" Wally shouted more forcefully then he intended, his fingers squeezing tighter around the flesh of her upper arms as he gave her a firm shake.

The waves continued their gentle roll, still moving the pair around slightly as they went.

"No you don't," Artemis said in a quiet voice that sounded oddly hollow to Wally. Her voice was devoid of conviction. It was as if she were simply stating a fact. "I could disappear tomorrow and you wouldn't lose a wink of sleep over it . . ." she trailed off looking anywhere but at him.

"That's not true and you know it," he whispered, the angry tone that colored his voice a moment ago gone.

"It is if it meant that Red Arrow would join the team in my absence."

Wally heaved a laborious sigh. After all the comments he'd made concerning his preference for Red Arrow since he met Artemis he couldn't blame her for her words.

"Look, I know I didn't exactly roll out the welcome mat when you joined the team but . . . I . . . you . . . argh!" Wally cut himself off with a frustrated groan.

Why was it so hard to talk to her? Handing out snide remarks and bickering was a piece of cake but actually having a civil, serious discussion? Impossible. He stared at her intently, watching as a bead of water slid down her flawless skin from her wet hairline and rolled along her slender jaw where it dropped off and mixed back in with the restless ocean water surrounding them. Her beautiful golden hair, free of its usual ponytail, was draped over her slim shoulders, something he'd never seen before but realized he liked. She really was an attractive girl.

Artemis blinked her eyes in confusion at Wally's sudden silence. Uncomfortable with his stare, she finally cleared her throat and said, "Uh . . ." but trailed off, not sure what to say herself.

Wally immediately shook his head, his cheeks slightly flushed from the direction his thoughts had taken. Thinking of Artemis as "attractive" was the last thing he needed.

"So, cliff diving's actually a sport, huh?" he said stupidly, unsure where to go with the conversation anymore.

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Yes, it's a sport," she reiterated. "There are actual competitions."

"And you've trained for this sport?"

She shrugged her shoulders as best she could with Wally's hands around them. "A little," she answered, purposefully being vague.

"Did your dad teach you that too?" he asked suspiciously.

She grimaced at his words. So he hadn't completely forgotten what she said about her father back in Bialya. It didn't seem like he really believed her ninja movie excuse either, although he'd thoroughly enjoyed teasing her about it for days afterward. She tried to shift away from him, but he tightened his grip in response, not allowing her to put more space between them.

"I asked you a question," he stated, not willing to drop the topic.

"And I'm telling you it's none of your business, so back off!" she hissed, her eyes purposefully looking away from him.

Wally shook his head in disappointment. Why did she have to be so difficult?

"How can you expect us to trust you if you won't tell us anything about you?" he snapped at her. She was infuriating!

"That's not fair!" she argued back, her dark blue orbs locking with his light green ones defiantly. "You don't know a thing about Robin, not even his real name, but you're best friends with him! I don't hide my face when I'm dressed in civilian clothes, I don't even use a code name on missions like the rest of you! You know I live in Gotham City and you know I'm Green Arrow's niece! Why isn't that enough?" Softening her voice some, she added, "You didn't have a problem trusting me in Bialya when I was a complete stranger. Even after I said I was probably supposed to kill you, you stuck by me anyway. Why could you trust me then but not now?"

Wally didn't respond and Artemis, finally fed up with him, placed her hands on his chest and pushed as hard as she could, breaking his hold on her. Wally's eyes widen slightly in surprise at her reaction. He'd grown accustomed to having her in his space and the sudden absence of her body so close to his left him feeling oddly disjointed.

A melancholic look entered Artemis's eyes as she said, "You don't have to like me or be happy about my presence on this team, but you do have to work with me so just deal with it for now. In the end, if you really are the good guy you claimed to be when you found me in that shed, you'll understand the part I play on this team," she finished before turning on him and swimming quickly for the shore.

Wally watched her go in the dying light of the setting sun. He just had to work with her _for now? _Was she planning on going somewhere? That simple thought left an emptiness in the pit of his stomach that he refused to acknowledge. And what was that about him eventually understanding the part she played? Her cryptic words were confusing and caused an uncomfortable feeling to settle over him. Feeling worse than he did after their bout in the training room that morning, Wally headed for the shore.

**_To be continued . . ._**

**A/N: **This chapter is kind of a trial run to gauge how well received my ability to write YJ stories is, so comments and constructive criticism would be much appreciated :) If it gets good feedback, I'll upload chapter 2 soon (it's already done) and keep going. I'm really trying to keep the characters in-character as much as I can while fleshing them out a bit more so hopefully they don't seem OOC. Unfortunately we only have 9 eps to go on since CNs being crazy slow with this show. Please let me know if they do seem OOC though so I can work harder on it. I don't know how long this will be, but I pretty much know where I'm going with this for the most part. However, suggestions are always taken into consideration and worked in if I can find a way to do so :) Guesses as to where you think this story is going are always fun to read too lol

_**SakuraJade**_


	2. Only Human

**A/N:** Wow, chapter 1 has had over 400 hits and is already on 20 alert lists and a few favorite lists as well! I'm happy it was so well received :) Thanks so much to everyone who took a moment to review, each and every one is appreciated. I have to say a special thanks to DreamRabbit though for taking the time to write such a thorough, in depth analysis! Thanks so much DrRa :)

_**Revision 9/30/11: **_Because Dick is 13, I originally placed him in 8th grade since that would be the grade that matched his age. However, in ep 12, "Homefront" it was stated at the Academy that he's a freshman. So I've since edited this story to reflect that. It's a minor change but a change all the same. Also, I have to say, I was almost spot on with Gotham Academy's uniforms. When I originally wrote this chapter we didn't know what they looked like, but I was close. The few discrepancies have since been corrected.

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice, DC Comics, Warner Bros., and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

**Rated T** for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

_Italics_ means thoughts

_The Truth is rarely pure and never simple . . ._

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 2: Only Human_

**Mount Justice**

**September 13, 16:52 EDT**

Artemis stomped down the hallway toward the training room in Mount Justice, her navy blue pleated skirt flaring behind her as she went. Her backpack was slung over one shoulder carelessly, her hand gripping the strap. She hated mandatory after school training sessions. Now that she was attending Gotham Academy, she'd never have time to run home and change before teleporting to Mount Justice, meaning she'd have to show up in her school uniform, which was probably the thing she hated most about her new school. A navy blue pleated skirt, a trim fitting white collared dress shirt (that she refused to tuck in), a deep red tie, and white knee highs was not her ensemble of choice, not by a long shot. As the weather got increasingly colder, she'd have to add a navy blue blazer to the mix as well, the Gotham Academy insignia stitched over the left breast pocket.

_At least they don't make us wear the sweater vest,_ she thought bitterly as she pulled her tie loose around her neck and unbuttoned her collar a bit.

She'd only been attending Gotham Academy for two weeks now and she was not a fan. The uniforms were bad enough, but the students weren't much better. Ninety-eight percent of them were there because of who their parents were: prominent individuals with money, lots of money.

Artemis didn't have money.

She lived with her disabled mother in a tiny apartment on the seedier side of town, struggling to make ends meet. Given her father's line of work, his child support checks were nonexistent, not that he'd help them out even if he had a legitimate job, and her mother's disability didn't add up to much. Seeing that her job as a reconnaissance operative/crime fighter didn't pay a dime, and neither did her time spent as Green Arrow's new sidekick of sorts, she'd picked up a part time job teaching self defense in the evenings at the local YMCA. It didn't pay much, and it wasn't easy since she had to work it around everything else going on in her life, but every little bit helped.

She didn't care that the other kids at school had trust funds and were raised with silver spoons in their mouths, but they sure cared. The boys weren't so bad, probably because they liked the way she looked, as shallow as that was, but the girls . . . they were ruthless. Mean and snotty, they rubbed their money in her face whenever they had a chance. Add that to the uniform and the fact that she was positive someone had a watchful eye on her periodically throughout each school day – which was driving her crazy – and she was in hell.

Initially, she refused to go, but her mother had pleaded with her to take advantage of the opportunity and in the end she adhered, but only if she could commute from home rather than live in the dorms on campus. It meant getting up extra early, taking two city buses, and walking half a mile in chunk-heeled penny loafers and knee highs, but it was worth it to stay with her mother. Since her mother agreed to the compromise, she had called the Wayne Foundation the next day and told them she would accept the scholarship, the scholarship she'd never even applied for. She knew the full ride to the prestigious Gotham Academy had to have come from the Justice League, it was the only explanation. The letter she'd received had even stated that she was being granted the scholarship based on her academic achievements, as well as her extracurricular activities. While she did maintain a high GPA, the only extracurricular activity she participated in was the Justice League's black ops team she'd recently joined. She had no idea how the academy, the Justice League, and The Wayne Foundation were connected, she just knew they had to be. There was no other justification for the letter she'd received. Clearly they were trying to help her better her life, give her chances she'd never had before, and create opportunities for her future. Although, she honestly wasn't sure if she'd have a future once everything was said and done.

Of course, she wasn't naïve enough to think their intentions were purely one-sided. She figured it was their way of keeping tabs on her. Surely they had members of the staff spying on her to some extent. Despite everything, she couldn't expect them to fully disregard her parental lineage. Regardless, she appreciated the gesture of "good will" so-to-speak, but it wasn't necessary. Gotham North, the inner city school she'd been attending, was unfortunately notorious for gang violence, substance abuse, and vandalism but it was where she belonged. True her intellectual level was more on par with the material being taught at Gotham Academy, but financially, not to mention socially, she belonged with the riffraff. It wasn't like she didn't spend a good amount of time with disreputable people on a regular basis anyway, considering what she did outside of her new black ops superhero gig . . .

A sudden breeze rushed past her, pulling her skirt and hair forward with it, and she saw Wally, already suited up in his obnoxiously loud costume of red and yellow, screech to a halt up ahead of her. He turned around and gave her a once over, as if he didn't recognize her at first glance. She couldn't blame him considering her getup. He dashed back over to her.

"What are you wearing?" he asked as he continued to eye her apparel. A pleated skirt and knee highs was the last thing he ever expected to see her in, Megan sure, but not Artemis. Although he'd be lying if he said it wasn't working for her, she definitely had the legs for a skirt, not that he'd tell her that.

"A school uniform, what's it look like you moron?" she retorted with a glare, as if daring him to give her a hard time about it.

"Yeah but that's-" Wally stopped himself immediately. No reason to let her know he was familiar with the attire required at Gotham Academy. Although he was surprised she attended that school considering how Robin had neglected to mention it to him. It was, after all, one more piece of information about their ever mysterious new teammate.

"It's what?" Artemis questioned, an eyebrow raised.

"Never mind."

With a shake of her head, Artemis replied, "Whatever," and continued on her way.

Wally hurried after the blonde, falling in step with her once he caught up. "So, I take it you're attending a private school then?" he asked.

"Nothing gets past you," Artemis quipped, her voice flat and unimpressed.

The speedster pointedly chose to ignore her jab and instead, in an attempt to garner more information from her, asked, "Rich family?"

"Nope, scholarship. Full ride actually," she replied, which was technically true, even if she hadn't earned it entirely based on her grades or her athleticism as he'd probably assume. It wasn't like she wasn't intelligent and athletic anyway . . .

Wally let out a low whistle, impressed. He might not know Robin's civilian alias, but he had known for awhile that the Boy Wonder attended Gotham Academy, which led to him discovering just how expensive and prestigious it was. Full scholarships weren't easily earned and rarely handed out.

"Nice," he remarked. "You'll have your choice of any college in the future."

"If I even have a future."

It just slipped out. Artemis could have kicked herself. Though the words had been mumbled, Wally clearly caught them. Her words sparked a hint of worry in his bright green orbs.

"What do you mean?" he asked seriously.

"Nothing, just forget it," she replied, her voice laced with the same hollowness it held days before when she'd accused him of not caring if she suddenly disappeared.

_Is she kidding?_ he thought. _Who could simply forget a comment like that?_

He'd let it go, but forget about it? No way.

"So, full scholarship, huh? How'd you swing that one?" he pushed on.

Artemis shot him a look that pulsated irritation, so before she could speak he held up his hands and said, "Wait, let me guess," he cleared his throat then spoke, in a poor imitation of her voice, "it's none of my business, right?"

"I guess you're not a complete idiot one hundred percent of the time after all," was all she said in return before turning down a different hallway to change for practice in the spare room she'd been assigned at the base.

Wally glared after her for a second before he bolted ahead to the training hall. Robin was already there in uniform with the rest of the team, idly standing around as he waited for Black Canary to arrive. As soon as Wally spotted him, he dragged his friend to the far side of the enormous room.

"Uh, problem?" Robin asked once Kid Flash dropped his arm.

"Dude, what the heck? How long has Artemis been a student at your school?" he asked immediately, his voice as quiet as possible in an attempt to keep Superboy from hearing.

The younger teen eyed his companion, curious as to why Wally cared in the first place. "About two weeks, why?"

"She's been going to school with you for two weeks and you didn't think to tell me?"

"Um . . . I'm sorry?" Robin offered, unsure of the issue this caused.

"How did she end up in the same school as you?"

"Because Bats arranged for her to be there."

"How are you not more worried about this?" Wally asked exasperatedly. Then a thought dawned on him and he continued, voice incredulous, "Wait, does she know your civilian identity?"

"Don't be ridiculous, you know Batman's rule about that."

"Well why the heck would Batman purposefully put her in school with you when he doesn't want your fellow team members to know your identity?" Wally asked, dumfounded.

"Partly because he thinks she's worthy of the education Gotham Academy has to offer."

Wally raised an eyebrow. "And the other part?"

"So I can keep an eye on her."

"Seriously? He puts her on the team and expects us to trust her but he himself doesn't? That's rich," the Speedster scoffed.

Robin shook his head. "He didn't give me the specifics, but it didn't sound like it was because he didn't trust _her_ exactly . . ."

"Well why else would he tell you to spy on her?"

With a shrug, Robin replied, "Don't know."

"So let me get this straight. You have to keep an eye on her but not let her know who you are?"

"That about sums it up, yeah."

Wally scratched his head in frustration. "Why aren't you freaked out about this?"

"Why should I be?"

"Because, what if Artemis figures out who you are?"

The Boy Wonder dismissed his best friend's words with a wave of his hand. "She won't. She's a sophomore, I'm a freshman. That makes her a grade ahead of me, so we don't have any classes together and our lockers are on different floors. When I do a routine check up on her at lunch and during passing periods I make sure to be stealthy about it. You know, go all ninja and junk," he finished with a smirk.

"Yeah, well, Artemis seems to be part ninja herself the way she slinks around on missions, so if I were you, I-" Wally broke off mid-sentence as he saw the object of their discussion enter the training room decked out in her green battle gear. "Speak of the devil," he grumbled.

Before Artemis could get within hearing distance, Robin asked, "So, why was it crucial for me to have told you she's attending my school?"

"Well because . . . she's always being so secretive about her personal life, I figure every little bit we can find out helps. I mean, we should know who we're forced to work with."

"If you say so, but, if Bats and GA think she's legit, then there's no reason we shouldn't," Robin replied before he moved to join the rest of the team.

Wally let out a defeated groan and followed behind his friend. He still didn't understand why the others weren't more concerned with Artemis's background. For him, it had actually become more than needing to know for the sake of trust. Because she wasn't forthcoming when it came to who she was, finding out more information about the mysterious archer had become a game of sorts. How many puzzle pieces could he find and put in place? How many would it take to develop an understanding of the bigger picture that was his enigmatic teammate Artemis?

**x x x**

"Alright, that's enough for today. You're dismissed," Black Canary announced to her young students.

As the group of teens moved to leave the training area, Black Canary stopped Wally and Artemis.

"Except you two."

They glanced at each other before giving their attention back to her.

"Why, what'd we do?" Wally asked.

"You two have to continue practicing. Another hour to make up for the one you missed last Saturday due to your spat. Lesson's hand-to-hand combat, NO powers," she stressed.

A snicker was heard from the doorway, and the trio looked over to see Robin with his hands over his mouth in an attempt to stifle the sound. At Black Canary's threatening glare, he hurried out of the room.

She turned back to her two remaining students. "Better get to it, you're not leaving until you've trained an additional hour," she informed. She hit a few buttons on the control panel of the computer to reset the training room before she let herself out.

"Initiate combat training," the feminine PC voice sounded before it began to count down.

"This is so not fair!" Wally complained.

"Quit whining and get in position," Artemis ordered as she took an offensive stance. She wasn't happy about this either, it meant she'd have to forgo dinner to get to work on time, but moaning and groaning wasn't going to change anything.

Wally continued to grumble but moved into a defensive stance anyway. As soon as his feet were planted, Artemis rushed at him. Within seconds he was on his back staring up at the ceiling, unsure of what Artemis had actually done to put him there.

"Fail, Kid Flash," the super computer announced overhead.

He got to his feet and his legs were swept out from under him immediately, sending him to the mat again, and once more the computer proclaimed his failure. With a frustrated growl, he grabbed at her legs, but two quick back flips put her out of range.

Fifteen minutes later, as he picked himself back off the mat for what felt like the hundredth time, Wally said, "You know, if I was allowed to use my super speed there'd be no contest."

"Don't underestimate me, Baywatch!" Artemis growled heatedly. "Having special powers isn't everything. Neither Robin nor I have actual powers but we hold our own with the team."

He swung at her and she easily caught his wrist before she tossed him effortlessly over her shoulder, a touch of a smile gracing her masked face as she heard his backside make contact with the mat yet again behind her. She turned around to face him, hands on her shapely hips.

"Besides, sometimes things happen and powers aren't usable. Then what, hotshot? You rely so heavily on your super speed as it is that, if it's taken out of the equation, you're rendered practically useless. Even my archery skills have limitations. As a target gets closer, it becomes less feasible for me to attack with arrows. That's when knowledge of hand-to-hand methods becomes crucial. If you're smart, you'll actually try to learn something from this lesson instead of just bitching."

"If BC wanted me to learn something, then why didn't she pair me with Robin? I at least _like_ working with him," he retorted.

"Yeah right, you two would just end up goofing off the whole time. The real question is: why am _I_ being punished?" she shot back.

Wally's only response was to attack her again. The sparing match continued on in the same manner for a bit longer, but half way through, things began to turn around. Wally actually started taking Artemis to the mat. At first, he thought she had started to go easy on him, which only made him angrier (he didn't need her pity!), but after a few more take downs he realized she was actually running out of steam. Her attacks were becoming a bit sloppy and unfocused, making it increasingly easier for him to read her next move and counter appropriately.

_What's wrong with her? _Wally thought as he blocked her punch to his chest and landed a left hook on her shoulder. Her over all movements had slowed considerably, and she no longer seemed to possess the strength needed to take him down.

Artemis didn't have much left in her and she knew why. Between school, her early rising to catch the bus to school, her evening job, and all the time she put into training and assisting on missions, she was stretched thin. She was good, able to handle more than most, but she was still only human. The extra hour of practice was proving to be the straw that broke the camel's back. Gritting her teeth, determined to keep going, she swung at Wally forcefully and fell forward, losing her footing as her vision momentarily blurred. Not expecting her whole body to collide with his, Wally was caught off guard and they tumbled to the mat in a heap, Artemis landing on top.

For a moment, they just laid there, out of breath. Wally looked at the head of blonde hair on his chest and tentatively asked, "Uh . . . are you okay?"

"Y-yeah . . . I'll be fine. Ju . . . just a little tired," Artemis huffed, and rolled off of him.

Wally looked at the clock that hung over the doorway. They were only shy ten minutes of a full hour. He figured it was close enough. "Why don't we call it a day? Our extra hour's pretty much over."

Artemis glanced at the clock and nodded. "Yeah, okay."

Wally rose first and, without giving it much thought, held his hand out to help her up. She stared at his offered hand warily for a second before she wrapped her slender fingers around it.

"Thanks," she murmured as he pulled her to her feet.

"Sure," was all he could think to say back.

Once outside the training room they parted ways. Wally didn't get far before Black Canary crossed his path, on her way to check up on them.

"All done?"

"Yep."

She inclined her head at him. "Good. Learn anything new?"

"Considering that I already know Artemis is a pushy, conceited, hard-ass, no," Wally griped.

Dinah shook her head. "Why are you so determined to exclude her from the group? She's proved that the skills she possesses are an asset to this team's objectives and she's been nothing but reliable during missions. Why all the hostility?"

"Because . . ." Wally stated childishly, refusing to make eye contact.

"Because . . . ?" Dinah pressed.

"Because, she took Red Arrow's spot on the team and she's hardly given us any real, solid information about who she is and where she comes from! I don't know how the others do it, but I can't blindly go along with that. All she has to do is be honest with us, but she won't."

Black Canary let out a tired sigh before saying, "First of all, she didn't take anyone's place on the team. Red Arrow is still welcome to join if he wants. It's his decision and it has nothing to do with Artemis's membership, so you need to get over this complex of yours. Second, the truth is rarely pure and never simple. Artemis . . . she's had it rough. You need to cut her some slack. She had to grow up even faster than the rest of you due to unfortunate circumstances that were beyond her control. After everything she's been through, she can't help being a little cynical and standoffish, and you can't blame her for not wanting to talk about a past that's painful." She placed her hand firmly on his shoulder. "Just . . . try to keep that in mind, okay?" she requested.

When her student didn't respond, Dinah removed her hand and continued on her way. Wally stood in the hallway alone, contemplating her words. Finally, he heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his sweat dampened hair. Black Canary had a point, and admitting that was like swallowing the bitterest of medicines. He supposed he _could_ be nicer . . . After all, she _had _saved his life when she shot that arrow at Amazo, Professor Ivo's android, while it was attempting to crush him in a bear hug. She'd also been right when she said he trusted Robin even though he didn't really know all that much about the younger boy. Plus, she'd stuck by him in Bialya when he was nothing more than a stranger to her. That had to count for _something_.

Wally decided to sleep on Dinah's words. With no other business at Mount Justice, he headed for the zeta tubes, eager to leave.

Artemis hurried through a shower and changed back into her school uniform. She sat down on the common room couch, intending to rest for only a minute before heading back to Gotham for work. When Wally breezed through on his way to the zeta tubes ten minutes later, she was fast asleep, her legs curled up on the couch beneath her, head laying on the arm rest. He raised an eyebrow at the slumbering archer, surprised she had fallen asleep while sitting there. More surprising still was how . . . sweet she looked. Sitting there asleep in her uniform, legs tucked under her body demurely, he'd never guess she was the snarky girl who bickered with him daily. Not willing to spend any more time thinking about her than he already had, Wally zipped out of the room and into the Central City zeta tube, anxious to get home for dinner.

**x x x**

**Mount Justice**

**September 14, 7:12 EDT**

"Recognized, Kid Flash, B03," the computer announced the next morning as Wally materialized in the zeta tube.

_If Black Canary hadn't kept us so long yesterday, I wouldn't have forgotten my stupid backpack,_ Wally thought as he hurried to his room to retrieve it.

As he rushed by the common room, bag now securely on his back, he glanced at the couch and skidded to a stop immediately. Artemis was in the same spot she had been in when he'd left the night before. She never made it home and she didn't show any signs of rising for school either. Wally bounced from one heel to the other as he debated his next action. Leave her there and head to school, or wake her up? If she didn't get up, she'd be late for school, but that really wasn't his problem . . .

He thought about the discussion he'd had with Dinah the night before. With a relenting sigh he walked over to the couch and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Artemis," he called softly. "Hey, Artemis, get up. You're gonna be late for school," he said, giving her shoulder a gentle shake.

She opened her deep blue eyes groggily but as soon as they landed on his face, a face she wasn't accustomed to seeing first thing in the morning, they widened. She sat up abruptly, startled, and backed away from him as far as the couch would let her.

"Whoa, whoa, cool your jets, will ya? No need to freak out, jeeze," Wally said as he took a step back himself.

"What's going on?" she asked, her eyes darting around the room.

Wally shrugged. "You're at Mount Justice. You fell asleep here on the couch last night after practice. If you don't get movin' you're gonna be late for school."

"Shit!" Artemis cursed as she sprang up from the couch. "How could I have fallen asleep like that?"

Megan suddenly walked in from the kitchen, a frying pan in one hand, a spatula in the other. "I thought I heard voices. Good morning you two!" she chirped pleasantly, a sunny smile on her face.

Artemis turned to her, eyes irritated. "Megan! Why didn't you wake me up?"

Megan's smile faltered at the angry tone of her teammate's voice. "Well, you just looked so peaceful I didn't want to disturb you . . ." the young Martian trailed off, feeling bad.

Artemis shook her head. "Oh, never mind," she said as she looked around for her own backpack. "I can't believe I missed work last night! My boss is gonna kill me! And Mom's gotta be freaking out that I never made it home-"

"Wait, you have a job, like, other than what we already do for the Justice League?" Wally interrupted her rambling, but she paid him no heed as she collected her bag from the floor by the couch.

"-and if I'm late to school the headmaster's gonna have a field day! He already has it in for me since I'm from the wrong side of town-" Atremis broke off as she tripped in her shoes. "Stupid chunk-heeled shoes!" she cried as she ripped them off in frustration and ran for the zeta tube in her knee highs. "If they want me to go to this God forsaken school then the least they could do is put a zeta tube closer to it!"

Wally scratched his head, perplexed by her behavior. He didn't know what she was going on about anymore, but she seemed pretty high strung over it. It was weird to see her so uncollected. Before he could think better of it, he ran in front of her, forcing her to pause her stumbling gait. "Stop, please, it's painful to watch you rush around so _slowly._"

Artemis glared at him and shoved him out of her way as she said, "Move, Wally, I don't have time to screw around with you right now!"

As she passed him he grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. She turned her heated gaze on him, but before she could start yelling he spoke.

"Look, if you need to get to school that badly I . . . I could, uh, give you a lift."

Artemis raised a questioning eyebrow. "Who are you and what did you do with the real Kid Flash?"

"Do you want my help or not?" he asked, voice sharp, slightly perturbed at her comment. He was trying to be nice to her but she wasn't making it easy.

The archer stared him down for a second before saying, "Fine, but you better get me there on time."

"Man, you're ungrateful . . ." he complained but scooped her up all the same.

At the feel of his fingers firmly gripping the underside of her naked thigh, Artemis tensed slightly, unaccustomed to the skin of that particular area being in contact with someone else's. She threw Wally a withering look.

"What?" he asked, unaware of her discomfort.

"You'd better not even think of putting your hand up my skirt."

"Oh you wish!" Wally cried, trying to ignore the red hue that was beginning to stain his cheeks at the thought she'd unwittingly placed in his head. "Don't make me sick."

Artemis shivered involuntarily. "Don't worry, that thought's just as sickening to me." She slid her arms around his neck, clasping them tightly in preparation for the speed at which they were about to travel.

"Wait, don't you want some break . . . fast?" By the time Megan had finished her sentence, she was standing in the room alone, the flash from the zeta tube down the hall already fading.

**x x x**

**Gotham Academy**

**September 14, 7:33 EDT**

Just outside the wrought iron front gates of Gotham Academy, Wally came to an abrupt stop behind some bushes. There was still about fifteen minutes until the start of first period, more than enough time for Artemis to make a trip to her locker and get to class.

"See? Plenty of time to spare," Wally commented as he placed his teammate on solid ground.

She swayed a bit, a combination of lack of food – she had missed dinner and breakfast after all – and the intense speed they'd been traveling at making her slightly dizzy. She grabbed onto Wally's retreating arm to steady herself.

"Sorry, did my speed take your breath away? It's been known to happen," he teased, a broad smile on his face as he guided her to the path that led through the gates.

Artemis rolled her eyes and released his arm. "Get over yourself." Then, in a voice that actually had a hint of gratitude, she mumbled, "Thank you."

Wally's smile went from teasing to genuine. "No problem."

She started for the gates, but Wally's voice stopped her. Turning around, she caught something in her hands just before it hit her. She looked at the object and realized it was a granola bar, something Wally kept on his person regularly to replenish his energy levels. She cast a questioning look at him.

Wally shrugged. "You know, since you missed breakfast and all."

Artemis couldn't stop the tiny grin that immediately began to form on her lips. It was such a small gesture, but it was probably one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for her. She opened her mouth to reply.

"Artemis!"

She turned towards the gates and saw a young man with perfectly groomed hair the color of rich milk chocolate and warm eyes waving her over. Wally knitted his eyebrows as he eyed the guy by the gate. He couldn't help wondering who the boy was in relation to the blonde. After all, according to Robin, she'd only been attending the academy for about two weeks. Artemis gave a small wave before turning back to Wally.

"I gotta go, but thanks for-" she held up the granola bar, "-and for, well, you know. I owe you one."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you pay me back somehow," he said with a smirk; then he was gone.

Artemis shook her head before she walked towards the gates, unwrapping the snack Wally had supplied her with as she went. This act of consideration still didn't make them friends exactly, but it was definitely a move in the right direction.

**_To be continued . . ._**

**A/N:** I have no idea if the academy has dorms; I just assumed it was like a boarding school. Especially since the letter Artemis received in "Downtime" said the scholarship would cover "tuition and all other expenses" leading me to believe that might mean room and board as well as books etc. So that's that. I'd appreciate any feedback you can give, thanks :)

_SakuraJade_


	3. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

**A/N:** We finally have some action in this chapter, along with a look at Artemis's flirty side :) Just so everyone knows, there will be hints of Superboy/M'gann b/c it's canon.

Thanks again to all those who have taken a moment of their time to leave me feedback! I do really appreciate all your kind words and encouragement :) Please keep them coming, I so look forward to them (and they are quite the encouragement to update faster too)!

**Important Note: **Just so everyone else knows, a reader of mine reviewed this chapter telling me that episode 10, "Targets" is now on youtube. I just watched it and wanted to say my story didn't completely follow it since Wally didn't actually interact with Red Arrow in the ep, but, even though it didn't really derail my story, I went back to chapter one anyway and fixed that in a way I found adequate. No need to go back and look, it doesn't change the base relationship between Artemis and Wally for this story, it just explains why things didn't stay good between Art and KF like she thought they would after Byalia WITHOUT saying it was b/c Wally worked with RA on the last mission (as I initially thought he would). On the plus side, the time stamps lined up with ep 10 at least since the ep takes place between September 4th and 7th :) Also, Superboy was given the name Conner by Megan in this ep so I will now refer to him as such at times.

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice, DC Comics, Warner Bros., and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

**Rated T** for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

_Italics_ mean thoughts

"_Italics within quotes" _mean telepathy

_Never assume the obvious is true . . ._

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 3: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back_

**Gotham Academy**

**September 16, 09:52 EDT**

There it was again.

Artemis swiftly turned to look behind her, her pleated skirt swishing along her thighs with the sudden movement. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary though. The other students who were milling about, making good use of their passing period, simply walked around her still form. Her intense eyes roamed the hallway, taking in everything. She was positive someone had been watching her intently but a moment ago, and it wasn't the first time either. That feeling had been creeping over her several times a day since she started at Gotham Academy. It didn't feel threatening, but it was invasive all the same and she'd just about had it. She hated to admit it, but whoever was spying on her was good. They had to be, seeing as they'd avoided being caught by her for almost three weeks now.

Artemis glanced around the thinning hallway one more time before she continued toward her locker. The person observing her was definitely good, but she was better. After all, moving through shadows and disappearing without a trace was something she'd been trained to do since she could remember.

And her father had made sure she was a fast learner.

She excelled in everything he taught her. She had to, the consequences she'd suffer if she didn't were severe. As soon as she was old enough to walk he'd started her lessons, and if she was anything less than exceptional by the time he was finished . . . well, she could recall a few instances when she was in so much pain she actually prayed for death. Harsh and cruel though his methods were, they certainly provided the motivation necessary to master the skills and philosophies he'd been feeding her since the cradle. And when she'd gotten older and began to defy him, regardless of the consequences she would suffer, that was when he found out how special she really was . . .

Artemis shook her head, her long ponytail gently swinging as she did, in an attempt to rid those thoughts from her mind. She didn't need that kind of distraction. When she reached her locker, she frowned at the ugly orange flyer taped to it. According to the lettering, Gotham Academy's Homecoming was only a couple weeks away and students were encouraged to buy their tickets early, for both the football game against Gotham Central, and the dance. Artemis laid her fingers on the tacky paper and curled them into a fist, the flyer crumpling beneath them. She didn't have time for such nonsense, nor could she afford it anyway.

"Not into the whole school spirit thing, huh?"

Artemis turned to her left and her deep sapphire eyes fell on a head of tidy, milk chocolate hair, eyes that looked like melted butterscotch, and a warm smile. The young man in front of her had introduced himself as Evan Wingate on her third day, after a group of girls had made some malicious comments about her backpack not being designer. He'd actually apologized for his fellow students' behavior, which Artemis couldn't help but find classy, and had invited her to sit with him and some of his friends at lunch. He hadn't been the only nice guy, but he did seem to be the most genuine. He was living proof that being wealthy didn't automatically make a person completely self-centered and shallow.

"Can't say that I am," Artemis replied.

"Yeah I kind of got that impression already, but your mistreatment of the Homecoming flyer was the nail on the coffin," he laughed. "It's too bad though, I have a feeling you'd look great in semi-formal wear and I know someone who'd love to go with you."

Artemis couldn't help but smile at his words. It felt nice to be treated like a normal teenage girl once in a while, instead of the fine tuned weapon her father had spent years molding her to be. She figured she owed herself this guilty pleasure once in a while.

"Unless you're already spoken for, of course," Evan went on. Artemis blinked, unsure of what he was talking about, so he elaborated. "You know, that guy I saw you with a couple days ago? The one who walked you to school?"

Artemis's smile instantly disappeared and her cheeks flared a light pink when she realized he was talking about Wally. If he only knew how wrong he was! They weren't even really friends, never mind something more.

"No, no, that was just -" she paused, "a friend," she decide on, even if it wasn't one hundred percent true. It wasn't completely _un_true either. "From out of town," she added as an afterthought, which was entirely true since Wally actually lived in Central City, a whole time zone away.

He tried to hide the relief her words caused him to feel, but it was easy for Artemis – someone who'd been trained to notice the finer details – to spot it as it filter across his face.

"Good to know. Anyway," Evan continued, "Homecoming's still a month away so just think about it. I think we'd have a good time."

The warning bell rang. With a parting smile the boy headed for his next class. Artemis watched him go before she scanned the hallway one more time, the feeling of someone's eyes on her still present. She'd let it go for today, but, come Monday, it was on.

**x x x  
><strong>

**Happy Harbor**

**September 16, 18:00 EDT**

"Somebody please explain to me again why we're here," Artemis asked, the tone in her voice clearly demonstrating her disinterest as she crossed her arms over her chest.

The team, dressed in civilian clothing, was standing next to a booth, one of the many that lined the harbor during the Fall Festival. Artemis was really glad she'd wised up and started storing some regular clothes at the base. Otherwise, she would have had to spend the evening in her Gotham Academy uniform, and 8 hours or so a day in that outfit was more than enough for her. Wally turned away from the counter of the booth, a giant container of chili cheese fries in his hands.

"Because, Megan came all the way to our planet to help our team, the least we can do is help her experience what life is like on Earth," Wally explained as he shoveled a handful of food into his mouth.

Artemis shot him a look of disdain. "How is being forced to watch you stuff your face an 'Earth experience'?"

Wally glowered at his teammate. "We'll get to the fun stuff in a minute. I just need to carbo-load real quick. Trust me; you wouldn't like hanging out with me when I'm hungry."

"As opposed to how much I like hanging out with you now," she grumbled as the group began to head further into the fair.

"Like you had anything better to do," Wally countered around a mouth full of fries, chili and cheese smeared on his lips.

Tromping around a carnival was not how Artemis planned on spending her Friday, but she couldn't say she had something better planned. Really, if she'd gone straight home after school today, instead of heading to Mount Justice as Megan had requested the day before after practice, she was most likely going to sit in front of the tv at her apartment and tune up her bow. It would have been a worthwhile way to spend her evening, sure, but even she had to admit it wouldn't have been very entertaining. Although watching Wally pig out wasn't entertaining either, it was disgusting.

"Alright, fine, since this is for Megan," Artemis turned to the Martian, "what would you like to do?"

"Um . . ." Megan's gentle eyes roamed over the rides and games scattered across the harbor.

She'd seen Earth carnivals on tv, but she'd never dreamed she'd get to attend one! There were so many things she wanted to try; she didn't know where to start. Her eyes finally stopped on an open structure, where people were driving little cars around recklessly.

"How about that?" Megan asked as she pointed at the attraction behind her friend.

Artemis turned to look. "The bumper cars?"

"All. Right. Megan!" Wally spoke up as he finished off his fries. "Great pick, bumper cars rock!"

The group headed for the structure and waited for the current round to end.

Megan watched the tiny cars intently for a minute before asking, "So, what's the objective of this ride?"

"To crash into stuff," Robin supplied, his dark sunglasses hiding the excitement in his eyes. At the look on her face he added, "It's fun though, trust me."

Superboy cracked a smile. "Sounds like a blast."

As soon as their turn came, the boys rushed through the gate and quickly selected their cars, while the girls followed at a more sedated pace. Once their round started, pandemonium ensued. Wally and Robin made it a point to specifically chase each other, while Superboy simply smashed into everything he could. Kaldur seemed more interested in seeing how many cars he could avoid, and Megan quickly found herself stuck in a corner. As Artemis rammed into Wally from behind – which pushed him into Robin – she realized she was actually glad to be here with the rest of the team.

**x x x  
><strong>

"That was great!" Megan cried as the gang exited the Tilt-a-Whirl an hour later.

As they walked through the middle of the fair, they came across a giant tent lined with rows of game booths. Hanging from the top of a dart game, were several stuffed panda bears.

Megan pointed at one of the bears and exclaimed, "Oh, that's so cute!"

Wally immediately zoomed to her side. "Leave it to me, Megalicious. I'll win you one in no time."

He sprinted to the booth and purchased five darts for a dollar. He threw all five without managing to pop a single balloon. He dug into his pant pocket and withdrew another dollar. Five tries later, he was out of singles and Megan was still without the plushy.

He turned back to his friends sheepishly and asked, "Uh, anybody got a dollar?"

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Move," she ordered as she pushed him aside.

She dropped a dollar on the counter and the proprietor handed her five darts.

"Watch and learn," she instructed as she took aim.

She fired off all five darts rapidly, popping a balloon with each one. The man behind the counter pulled out a stool and removed one overly stuffed panda from the top of the booth.

"Here you are young lady," he said as he handed it over to Artemis.

Without a word she passed it on to Megan.

"Artemis, are you sure?" the alien asked, a look of surprise on her face.

"Just take it."

"Okay, I will. Thanks!" Megan exclaimed, hugging the stuffed animal tightly.

"Beginners luck," Wally grumbled, as the group continued on.

Superboy stopped to try his hand at a game that required the player to throw a baseball at a stack of three steel bottles. Upon impact, the bottles shattered violently from the force of his throw.

Robin let out a laugh. "Way to go, Supey."

At the owner's angry look, Kadlur said, "I suggest we move on."

"I thought it was a good throw," Megan told Superboy as they exited the game tent.

"Thanks," he smiled. Her cheeks colored red in response and she glanced away in an attempt to hide it.

Shortly after they left the game section, a God-awful screeching accompanied by music suddenly filled the air. It was coming from the next tent.

"Man, someone should put that cat out of its misery," Robin commented, his nose crinkled in distaste, as the gang walked in.

Not far from where they stood at the entrance, a small stage was set up and a young woman – who was apparently tone deaf – was singing off key at the top of her lungs. Superboy attempted to protect his sensitive ears by covering them with his enormous palms.

"Dude, can she not hear how bad she sounds?" Wally complained.

"It is a rather unpleasant sound," Kaldur commented.

"Is anyone allowed to sing?" Megan suddenly asked.

"Well, yeah," Wally replied. "It's karaoke. Amateurs go on stage and sing in front of an audience."

"Really? How fun!" Megan exclaimed and started heading for the stage.

The others followed behind, sitting at a table near the front. First chance she got, Megan rushed up on stage to take a turn. Artemis cringed as her teammate began to pelt out the words to a Hannah Montana song.

"We really need to cancel the Disney channel back at headquarters," she moaned.

After Megan's turn, Robin actually took a shot at it, shocking everyone by picking a song by Jesse McCartney. More shocking still was how well he sung it. At Megan's insistence, Superboy went next.

"Dude, I got the perfect song for you!" Wally exclaimed and zoomed up the stage to pick one from the machine.

A fast 80s retro sound started up and as soon as the words began to show on the screen, Superboy followed along in a monotone voice.

"She works hard for the money, so hard for it honey. She works hard for the money so you'd better treat her right," he spoke rather than sang.

Wally and Robin burst out laughing and even Artemis cracked a smile. Her smile widened when Superboy chucked the microphone at Wally and beamed him in the head before he walked back off the stage and reclaimed his seat.

Wally rubbed the side of his head and scooped the microphone off the floor. He suddenly turned to Artemis and held it out to her. "You're turn."

She eyed him critically. "No way. I don't sing."

"Don't or can't?" Wally asked challengingly. When Artemis didn't respond he continued, "Yeah I figured as much. If your voice is half as bad as your attitude I can't imagine how terrible you sound-ouch!"

Wally put his hand to his head where Artemis had smacked him. She ripped the microphone out of his other one and marched up the stage steps. If he wanted a show she'd give him one! She never backed down from a challenge. Once on stage, she quickly sifted through the list of available songs, looking for something that was originally sung in a lower key. With a slightly husky voice, it wouldn't be in her favor to pick a song sung by someone with a high pitched voice.

Growing impatient, Wally mock yawned and said, "If you're going to make a fool of yourself then at least do it while we're still young enough to hear clearly."

Ignoring the speedster, Artemis continued her search. A fiendish smile spread across her pink lips as her eyes landed on a particular song.

_Perfect, _she thought as she selected her song of choice.

Heavy drumming and guitar playing began to pump from the speakers. Artemis spun around to face the crowd and raised the microphone to her lips.

"**You can dress me up in diamonds, you can dress me up in dirt**," she sang, moving her hips to the music. **"You can throw me like a lineman, I like it better when it hurts. Oh, I have waited here for you, don't keep me waiting . . ." **A coy smile on her face, Artemis reached her free hand up to her ponytail and ripped the elastic band out of her hair, letting her golden locks flare out. She shook her head back and forth, her silky tendrils swinging wildly as she sang, **"You make me wanna LaLa, in the kitchen on the floor. I'll be your French maid, when I meet you at the door. I'll be your alley cat, drink the milk up, I want more. You make me wanna, you make me wanna screeaam . . ." **On the last word she ran her fingers through her hair starting at the crown of her head. Then she dragged her hand along her neck and down the front of her body as she dipped her knees seductively.

As she sang the song she danced around to the beat, moving her body provocatively. The looks on her teammates' faces were priceless. The sensual way she moved her body about up on stage came from a lesson taught to her, not by her father, but by her mother. Her mother was quick to teach Artemis the advantages being an attractive female presented her. It could, after all, be the difference between victory and defeat. Generally, men were lustful beings driven by sexual desires and, because of that, a woman with a nice body and a pretty face who knew how to use her assets confidently could very likely get away with murder if she needed to. It was a lesson Artemis regarded highly.

Wally's eyes burned, he hadn't blinked since Artemis took center stage. Her voice was nothing special, average at best, but the way she moved! It was risqué, borderline indecent. And yet, he'd be completely lying if he said he didn't want to see more. The way her hips swayed to the rhythm, the way she swung her luscious hair about, the smoldering look that had entered her already dark eyes, and that brazen smile all combined to create the most tantalizing scene he'd ever seen. It was no secret he prided himself as a bit of a ladies' man, but even he couldn't handle this. He was unprepared for this side of Artemis. Sure he knew she could be something of a flirt from her first mission with the team when she made an open, unabashed comment about Superboy's physique, but he had no idea she could be so . . . sexy. It certainly didn't help that the song she'd picked was an innuendo for rough, unbridled sex. Up there on stage, she seemed much too mature for the fifteen years of age that she was. He'd just assumed Artemis was a tomboy who was unaware of her potential sex appeal.

Clearly he'd thought wrong.

His enjoyment of the show was compromised, however, when the sound of others taking pleasure from it reached his ears. He looked around and noticed he wasn't the only one watching the girl on stage intently. Every other guy seated around the small stage had their eyes glued to the front, and their hollering and whistling was a good indication of their approval. Wally found himself glaring daggers at the audience. A feeling he wasn't accustomed to washed over him, giving new meaning to being "green-eyed." Jealousy was an emotion Wally wasn't well acquainted with. Even when Megan gave her attention to Superboy over him, he only felt mildly annoyed, he didn't feel the intense anger and resentment he was experiencing now.

As soon as the last note was sung, the male population watching broke out in applause. Despite their requests for an encore performance, Artemis ignored them and walked off stage, fixing her hair back into the neat low ponytail she typically wore. As she neared her teammates she tossed the microphone back at Wally, signaling his turn.

He snatched the microphone out of the air and slammed it down on the table, glaring heatedly at the archer. "What the heck was all that? You were just supposed to sing a song, not try out for a future career as an exotic dancer!"

"Excuse me?" Artemis questioned threateningly. He was the one who wanted her to go up there in the first place and now he was going to pick a fight with her over it?

"You heard me! You were supposed to go up there and sing a nice song like Megan!"

"News flash, I'm NOT Megan!" Artemis cried.

Wally opened his mouth to reply, but Kadlur stepped between the two. "That's enough, both of you." The stern tone in his voice was enough to silence the bickering teens.

Over karaoke, the team began to file out of the tent. Artemis gave Wally a dirty look before following the others. As Wally moved to exit the tent, he overheard two young males talking.

"Can you believe that blonde chick that was just on stage? Damn she was fine!"

"I know! The way she moved, can you imagine how good she'd be in bed?" the other replied.

"Wish I had the chance to find out."

_Ugh, I did NOT just hear those guys talking about wanting to nail Artemis,_ Wally thought, an anger he didn't know he could posses gripping his very being. He hurried out of the tent before he could act on the violent urge to do them bodily harm.

Shortly after leaving the karaoke tent, the gang happened across an enormous funhouse. They agreed it would be the last attraction of the night before heading inside. Artemis was the last to enter, her slower stride putting a good amount of space between herself and the others. She'd actually been having a good time up until her small argument with Wally. Artemis didn't know who she was more irritated with: Wally for picking a fight when they'd actually been getting along the last few days, or herself for letting him get to her so easily. It felt like for every step forward, they took two back. She didn't understand how he managed to get under her skin so thoroughly on a daily basis. He seemed to be the only one she ever lost her cool with. And why had he been so mad at her for her karaoke performance? True her gyrating had been a bit on the sexual side, but why the heck did he care?

She walked through an empty doorway in the dimly lit maze and found herself in a large, quiet room full of trick mirrors. This room, like so many others that she'd passed through, was devoid of other people. She stopped in front of one that was normal and stared at her refection intently.

_What is wrong with me? I shouldn't even be here with the others anyway, and I definitely shouldn't waste time worrying about what Wally thinks._

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply in an attempt to center herself. When she reopened them, she immediately saw that her reflection had been joined by another, one whose face was hidden by a Japanese noh mask.

"Jade," Artemis hissed, a hard edge to her voice.

"Tsk, tsk. When the mask is on it's Cheshire. Just because you choose not to use a code name while you're working doesn't mean you shouldn't respect the aliases of others."

Artemis spun around to face the woman, but she wasn't there. Her image was reflected in many mirrors simultaneously, but her physical body remained invisible.

"What are you doing here?" Artemis asked, looking around the room at all the reflections of Jade cautiously.

"Better question: what are _you _doing here?" Cheshire asked snidely, her voice echoing around the room making it impossible to pinpoint. "You shouldn't be out fooling around with the useless sidekicks when you're supposed to be obtaining information on the Justice League. Unless, of course, you really are working for them now."

Artemis clenched her fist. "You know I'm not."

"Do I? I have to say, Artemis, I have my doubts," Cheshire remarked lazily. "I warned Sportsmaster that, when you take something by force, you spend the rest of your life fighting to keep it, and yet he's sure you're with us now. At least Sensei was smart enough to subject you to a series of tests, starting with you infiltrating this team of sidekicks, to prove your loyalty. Although, so far it seems to be for naught as you have yet to supply us with any relevant information . . ."

"I'm doing my best," Artemis argued. "The Justice League isn't stupid, they know who my father is, so it's not like you can expect them to trust me wholeheartedly."

"Then your best isn't very good, is it?"

"What do you want?" Artemis growled, tired of the assassin.

"Whether you like it or not, you belong to the Shadows. Though your . . . ability, temporary as it is, is of great use to us, you aren't much good if you don't think like we do. So answer this: two children, a boy and a girl, are trapped in different rooms in this building, and this structure is about to catch fire," Cheshire explained casually, the tone of her voice indicating that she had a smile on her face.

Artemis inhaled sharply. She knew where this was going and it wasn't good.

"So, with the limited time you have, who do you save? The boy or the girl?"

"Both," Artemis responded automatically, even though she knew that wasn't the answer Jade was looking for. Just because she had to work for the Shadows didn't mean she had to be_ heartless _like them . . .

Cheshire shook her head. "Wrong. The correct answer is: _yourself_," she sneered as her image faded from the mirror.

Shortly after she disappeared, a violent tremor shook the room and the sound of shattering glass resounded through the air as every mirror in the room splintered then exploded, causing shards of glass to pour down like sharp raindrops. Artemis ducked down and covered her head with her arms in an attempt to shield herself from the onslaught of glass.

Then she ran.

_That bitch! _she thought as she raced through the house, suffocating black smoke starting to draft through the building chased by burning flames._ Come on, Artemis, think! Where would she stash two children?_

Outside the funhouse, the rest of the team stood, waiting for their elusive sixth member.

Wally tapped his foot impatiently. "Dude, where is she?"

Megan looked around, hoping to spot her friend. "We didn't miss her, did we?"

Robin shook his head. "No way, we're right at the exit. We definitely would have seen her come out."

Wally threw his hands up in frustration. "We've been done for ten minutes! Could she be any slo-"

His sentence remained unfinished as they watched the funhouse instantaneously burst into flames from the inside out. Carnival goers began to panic and fled the vicinity of the beloved attraction.

"M'gann! Link us up and search out Artemis's wave length!" Kaldur ordered immediately.

"On it!" she responded and handed her stuffed panda to Conner in order to free up her hands. She closed her eyes and placed her ring and middle fingers to her temples. _"Everybody linked up?" _she questioned.

"_Yes,"_ Kaldur informed. _"Have you located Artemis?"_

The Martian's already closed eyes squinted shut even tighter as she concentrated on the archer's signal. _"Not yet. The heat from the fire is making it hard to locate her. Artemis? Can you hear me?"_

Inside the burning inferno, the blonde in question stopped momentarily at the new voice in her head, before she continued her sprint through the building.

"_Yeah,"_ she finally responded tearing through another room devoid of either child she was looking for.

"_What happened?"_

The reply was patchy. _"Some . . . Shadows . . ." _Megan shook her head, but the reception didn't get any better. _". . ._ _two kids . . . trapped . . ."_

The telepathic alien looked at Kaldur apologetically. _"I'm sorry, I can't hold onto her signal."_

"_It is all right," _the Atlantean said. _"We need to get her out of there along with anyone else. It will be too hot inside to sustain my powers, but I can keep the fire in the doorway under control for a while from the outside." _With a glance at Wally, he continued, _"Kid, you need to run through that house and find Artemis along with any other civilians."_

Wally didn't need to be told twice. He pulled his goggles from his pocket and placed them over his eyes snugly. As soon as Kaldur activated his tattoos and extinguished the blaze blocking the entrance by redirecting water from the harbor, Wally sped through the doorway, nothing but a blur.

The smoke immediately began to penetrate his clothing as he raced from room to room trying to avoid the flames that danced around at random.

"Artemis?" he cried, opting to call for her verbally rather than telepathically since the signal was so shoddy. The sound of wood being consumed by fire was the only noise that met his ears. Not to be deterred, he hurried on, rushing through several rooms in a matter of seconds. "Artemis?" he choked out again, his eyes beginning to water from the sooty air.

He opened his mouth to shout her name again but stopped when he heard a faint reply one room away. He sprinted in the direction of the voice and almost ran into the blonde he'd been searching for. He felt more relieved than he thought he would at the sight of her. Her toned forearms were marred by a few sliver-like cuts that were stained red and she was covered in black smudges, but she looked alright otherwise.

He moved to grab her but she stepped out of his reach. "What are you doing! We have to get out of here! Come on!"

"No, there are children in here!"

That caught Wally off guard. He'd kept an eye out for others during his search for Artemis and had seen no one. As if to prove the archer correct, the sound of desperate cries suddenly reached their ears. Wordlessly, the pair fled the room in the direction of the sound. They followed the frightened voice to a room full of clown mannequins, some of which had begun to melt from the heat that was coming from the fire destroying an adjacent room. Creepy laughter filled the room, the heat-warped speakers causing it to come out distorted. A large box-like cage painted a light blue hung from one corner, a particularly disturbing clown trapped inside. Lying on the floor of the cage in tears was a little girl, no older than six.

"How are we gonna get her down?" Wally asked uncertain. He had no idea how she ended up locked in the cage. When Artemis announced the presence of children, he assumed she meant they were stuck by the fire, not on lockdown. "There isn't enough room for me to build the speed I need to run up the wall!"

Artemis eyed the layout of the room quickly before she broke into a sprint for the cage. Just as she reached the corner she jumped. Her right foot made contact with the wall to the right of the corner, and she immediately pushed up and kicked off simultaneously, repeating the process with her left foot. Her hand reached out and gripped the bottom platform of the cage before she could lose the momentum.

_Definitely just as ninja-like as Robin, _Wally couldn't help but think as he watched her pull off the stunt.

Using her upper body strength, she pulled herself up until she was standing on the thin ledge that surrounded the outside. She moved for the handle but stopped. It was broken off.

Pulling a butterfly knife out of her pocket and flipping it open, she turned back to Wally. "It's gonna take me a minute to get her out of here. There's a boy trapped in here somewhere too. You look for him while I work on this," she instructed, turning her attention back to the cage.

"All right, but hurry!"

"No, I thought I'd take my time!" Artemis shouted back as he left the room, the situation clearly not stomping out her sarcastic nature, much to Wally's chagrin. She placed the slim edge of the knife underneath the top hinge and began to pry it out of its socket.

Wally had to pick his way through the burning house to the other side before he happened across the other child. He found the boy sitting on the floor in a room full of spinning white circles with black spirals painted on them for a hypnotic effect. The child was tied to a two by four beam that was beginning to catch fire at the top.

When the boy spotted Wally he cried, "Help me, please! I don't wanna die!"

Wally pulled roughly at the ropes binding the boy but they weren't about to come undone. He eyed the wooden pole critically before addressing the hysteric boy.

"Hey, I'm gonna get you outta here. But you need to do something for me: duck your head as low as you can and close your eyes."

With a whimper the young boy nodded his head and did as Kid Flash instructed. With no other option, Wally took a deep breath and backed into the next room. The doorway of the hypnotic room lined up with the boy's pole and, after garnering as much space as he could, he flew at the beam, praying the minimal padding he regularly wore in the shoulders of his civilian clothes would be enough to protect his bones. His left shoulder collided with the two by four and it splintered under the impact, a loud crack mixing in with the sound of flames devouring the ceiling above. Wally rubbed his sore shoulder as he kicked the weakened spot of the pole. A few swift kicks snapped it in half where the rope surrounded it. Quickly, the red head pulled the boy, ropes and all, over the jagged piece of wood still imprisoning him. His grip tight on the boy, he hurried out of the room as the roof began to collapse in a flaming mess. In record time he made it back to the room he'd left Artemis in. Just as he entered it, his teammate was jumping down from the now open cage, the petrified girl safe in her arms. The pair met in the middle of the room and Artemis didn't hide the relief on her face when she saw him, although if it was directed at him, the fact that he'd succeeded in retrieving the second child, or a little of both, Wally couldn't be sure. He liked to think the third option. Both children free, it was time to go, but there was one small problem . . .

Wally couldn't carry all three of them.

He was strong for his age and his size, but even he couldn't speed through the burning house with two children and a teenager weighing him down. Uncertainty danced in his eyes as he stared at the blonde and she wasn't ignorant to their dilemma.

"Take the kids and go," she instructed without hesitation.

"But-" he started weakly. He couldn't really leave her behind, but he couldn't carry all of them either.

"Just go!" Artemis ordered forcefully. They didn't have time for this. She handed the girl over. "I'll be okay."

As Wally took the young lady in his free arm he locked eyes with Artemis and said, "I'll come back for you."

The blonde rewarded him with a half smile before he bolted from the room. As soon as he was on his way out, she ran as fast as she could for the same exit. The exertion took a quick toll on her body, however, and she quickly found herself staggering instead. She'd been in the building shrouded in thick smoke for so long that breathing had become extremely taxing. The lack of oxygen to the brain began causing black dots to invade her vision, starting in her peripherals before making their way inward. Unable to see clearly anymore, she fell to her hands and knees, body suddenly wracked with a brutal cough. The smoke couldn't kill her, not permanently anyway, but the fire could. Her body twisted in on itself and her blackened cheek made contact with the ash-covered floor as she struggled for air.

As her unfocused eyes drifted shut, her last conscious thought was the hope that Wally didn't risk coming back in for her.

_**To be continued . . . **_

**A/N: **The ball is really starting to roll now. Confused? That's okay if you are. I promise things will be revealed as the story goes. As for Robin singing karaoke to a Jesse McCartney song, well, I couldn't resist seeing how McCartney does his voice and I still can't get over that lol (I think it's cool, just so random). Means he'd certainly have a good singing voice hehe The song that Artemis sung was _LaLa_ by Ashlee Simpson, and the song Superboy spoke was _She Works Hard for the Money_ by Donna Summers. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know what you think, especially about the action in the second half. I always feel that action scenes are one of my weaknesses when it comes to writing, so I work really hard on them to make them flow well. Let me know if I succeeded please :)

_**SakuraJade**_


	4. Flying on Broken Wings

**A/N: **So glad this story is being so well received :) I've sent many PMs to readers, but for those of you who don't have profiles or don't accept PMs thanks so much for the kind words and support. Please keep it coming, I love it! I can't believe how many people got a kick out of Robin singing a Jesse McCartney song lol It was a pleasant surprise. Anyway, here's the next installment.

**Note about the time stamps:** I know it's not crazy important, but I like things to be consistent and match up so I did research to make sure the time stamps are corresponding correctly to each other and their respective time zones. According to ep 6, Infiltrators, Infinity Island, the HQ of the League of Shadows, is supposed to be in the Caribbean and is on ECT, which is Eastern Caribbean Time (some of the islands are Atlantic Standard Time oddly enough, but not this one). ECT is on the same time as the US's Eastern Time Zone, which would be the time zone for Gotham and Happy Harbor. Unless it's during Daylight Saving Time, in which Gotham and Happy Harbor might be an hour ahead of Infinity Island b/c they would observe DST but most Caribbean islands don't. Although, we don't know if Infinity Island is one of those, and that wouldn't be until the first Sunday in November anyway so I'm not going to worry about that lol. The point is, when it's, say, 9am in Gotham and Happy Harbor, it would also be 9am on Infinity Island. The show seems to use both military and regular time (in Happy Harbor as I've seen it be 1:00 and sunny (which should have been 13:00 military time) and 1:00 and dark. But I've also seen military time. Go figure.). But I'm sticking strictly with military time to make it easier.

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice, DC Comics, Warner Bros., and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

**Rated T** for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

_Italics_ mean thoughts

"_Italics within quotes" _mean telepathy

_A Lie may take care of the present, but it has no future . . . _

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 4: Flying on Broken Wings_

**Happy Harbor**

**September 16, 20:00 EDT**

Wally and his passengers burst through a stream of water before they were free of the fire-consumed attraction. Megan and Robin took the distraught children from his grasp while he attempted to catch his breath. Kaldur moved to lower his weapons but Wally's cry stopped him.

"Don't stop! Not yet. Artemis is still in there. I couldn't carry all three. I'm goin' back for her," he proclaimed as he forced himself back to his feet.

"The building's a wreck, it's gonna come down any second!" Robin exclaimed.

"I don't care; I can't just leave her in there."

"I will hold it as long as I can, but I am running out of energy so you had better be quick," Aqualad explained as he redoubled his efforts to stave off the flames in the doorway.

"Quick is the only way I know how to be," Kid Flash replied as he raced back in for the second time.

There were now more rooms on fire than not and the stability of the structure was nonexistent. Walls were toppling over and sections of the roof were caving in all over the place. Wally made a beeline for the room he'd left Artemis in. In his haste to save his teammate, he almost tripped over her unmoving body lying prone in the middle of the floor a few rooms closer than the one she was in last. Her vibrant blonde hair caught his eyes, and he managed to jump over her before skidding to a halt. He was on the ground next to her in seconds.

"Artemis!" he called. He would have happily settled for 'what do you want, you idiot?' as a response, but he got nothing. _No, no, no, please no . . . _he thought, taking in a shaky breath as he placed his hands under her still form and pulled her to him. He jostled her body and managed to elicit a weak groan from her, temporarily setting his mind at ease.

"Hang on, Artemis; I'm gettin' you outta here!"

He secured his grip on the young heroine and raced back to the exit, the rooms he passed through caving in as he went. He made it through Kaldur's waterfall just as the glow coming from his tattoos began to peter out.

"I got her!" Wally announced, coming to a stop a safe distance away from the dilapidated building.

"Way to go, KF!" Robin said as he left the boy he'd been watching with his mother just as Megan had done with the girl.

Megan reached the disheveled teens first, but the happy smile on her face turned into a frown as she stared intently at Artemis, still suspended in the redhead's arms. "Wally, I don't think she's breathing . . ."

And Wally suddenly realized that Artemis's body felt different from the other times he'd held her in his arms. True to Megan's statement, it didn't feel as though she was breathing and she seemed a lot heavier than before.

Like dead weight.

Megan put her fingers to her temples again and closed her eyes. A second later she opened them, tears beginning to form. "There's no brain activity," she cried.

Kid Flash managed to put two fingers to the archer's neck, searching for a pulse. His search was unsuccessful. The stillness of Artemis's body disturbed Wally on a level he didn't even know existed. He could feel the razor sharp claws of devastation sinking their way into his very core. She'd been stuck in the smoke too long. If he'd been able to get her out sooner, carry her and the two kids, she would have been okay. Despite their differences, they were still on the same team and he'd let her down.

Desperate to try and fix this in any way possible, Wally laid his teammate flat on her back and moved in to perform CPR, the memory of his last attempt vivid in his mind. He had failed to save Kent Nelson. He prayed this attempt would have better results. Thinking of the late Dr. Fate, Wally couldn't help but reflected on the man's final words to him:

"_**Find your own little spitfire, one that won't let you get away with nothin'. For example, that-"**_

Wally had to wonder about that last statement, the one that remained unfinished. He was smart enough to realize that Mr. Nelson had met only one girl that day in the Tower of Fate, and so it made filling in the rest of that sentence pretty obvious. Therefore, Mr. Nelson's suggestion didn't go unnoticed; it just went ignored based on the notion that, in his extremely old age, Kent wasn't all there anymore.

He did think the old guy was simply losing his marbles at first. But, over the last few weeks, Wally'd found himself ever so slowly opening up to the idea of having a spitfire all his own, maybe even the girl Kent had directly recommended. And now it looked like he'd be losing her before he ever actually had a chance to have her.

There was nothing like a life threatening disaster to put things in perspective.

Pushing that morbid thought to the back of his mind, Wally lowered his head to Artemis's. Right before their lips made contact, her eyes snapped open and she inhaled deeply, startling Wally so much he let out a yelp and fell backwards onto his rear end.

"What are you doing!" she asked as she struggled to sit up, voice raspy from inhaling so much smoke.

"Y-you weren't breathing!" Wally stammered in an attempt to explain his actions. "You didn't even have a pulse!"

"You're alive!" Megan suddenly cried and attached herself to her female teammate in a ferocious hug. "I thought you were dead! I mean, you weren't breathing and I swear there was no brain activity coming from you, but you're alive! I'm so happy!"

As Artemis tried to pry herself from Megan's grasp, Robin helped Kid Flash up.

"Man, that was a close one," he said. Then, with his trademark laugh, he added, "Can you believe _you_ almost locked lips with Artemis?"

"Shut up," Wally said flatly. "It's not like I wanted to." _Not under those circumstances anyway. _The thought ran through his mind before he could even process it.

Aqualad approached the archer, who had finally broken free of the Martian, and kneeled down to her level.

"Artemis, what happened in there?"

She looked away, her eyes hard as she answered. "It was a member of the League of Shadows, Cheshire, the one who got away from me when we were protecting Dr. Roquette last month. She was screwing with me for failing to catch her last time," she lied.

A look of doubt entered Aqualad's eyes, but it was so fleeting Artemis had to question if it was ever there at all. "We need to go back to headquarters and let Batman know what happened tonight," he finally said.

With the Atlantean's help, Artemis got to her feet, and the team hurried out of the fair before the authorities could arrive to question them since they were out of uniform. Kaldur was right, they would need to talk to Batman about what happened tonight, but Artemis would have to make a different report in private to the Caped Crusader.

He'd want details, details she couldn't give in front of the others.

**x x x**

**Infinity Island**

**September 17, 13:00 ECT**

"Explain yourself."

It was a simple statement, but Artemis knew she didn't have an adequate response. She was in one of the dojos of the League of Shadows, Sensei standing in front of her, Cheshire and Sportsmaster standing behind her in full uniform. They wanted an explanation for her actions in the funhouse at the Happy Harbor festival the day before.

"Well?" Sensei continued. "You deliberately failed Cheshire's test by trying to save those children. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I might have to work for you, but I don't have to work _like_ you. Make no mistake; if you put innocent lives in danger, I'm going to do whatever it takes to save them," Artemis answered, her voice filled with determination.

"Spoken like a true junior Justice League member. You make me sick," Sportsmaster scoffed behind her.

Artemis gritted her teeth in an attempt to hold her tongue. Sensei gave a disapproving shake of his head as he said, "Your actions yesterday were not admirable, but foolish. You will learn your place; we will break you down until you do."

He gave a swift nod of his head, and a moment later Artemis was roughly yanked back by her long hair and tossed to the floor. She looked up as Sportsmaster reached out and grabbed her by the throat, a javelin poised in his free hand.

He held her up off the ground as he said, "It's my fatherly duty to punish you for your failure yesterday."

"Still worth it," Artemis choked out defiantly.

He hated when she was insubordinate, it made him look bad. With a growl, Sportsmaster thrust his javelin at her naval, but pulled the blow at the last second, the tip scratching at her stomach through her shirt uncomfortably. "Since the uniform you wear when you work with those do-gooders exposes your stomach, I can't injure you there; it would raise too many questions."

A malicious smile split his hidden face and he once again threw her to the ground. She landed on her back and a moment later, her father's javelin pierced through her skin by her left collarbone and burst through the other side of her body, pinning her to the wooden floor. Artemis let out an agonizing cry, her entire shoulder erupting in pain.

"No one will see a wound there, however," he commented, sadistic excitement lighting up his eyes.

How she hated her father. The only consoling thought she could think of during moments like these, was how this would all be worth it once the Justice League took him down. She could endure any suffering he inflicted on her with that thought in mind. With her right hand, Artemis reached over and tugged at the javelin, pulling it back out of her flesh. She dropped it to the ground and rolled over on her hands and knees, taking deep breaths in an attempt to block out the pain. Not wasting any time, Sportsmaster picked the blood-coated javelin back up and rammed it through the center of his daughter's back. Artemis immediately fell, her clouded eyes staring lifelessly at the dirty wooden floor.

"Or there," her father said as he placed his foot on her back and ripped the weapon out. He dropped it to the floor with a clang next to her motionless body, blood gathering in a small puddle where it laid only to mix in with the crimson river running from Artemis herself.

Sensei began to exit the room, motioning for Sportsmaster to follow. At the doorway, he looked over his shoulder at Cheshire. "When she comes back, kill her again for good measure. Her insolence will not be tolerated," he said then he and Sportsmaster left the dojo.

**x x x**

**Mount Justice**

**September 17, 13:00 EDT**

"All right everyone, you're dismissed. Enjoy the rest of your Saturday," Black Canary announced to the young team.

"Dude, not fair! How did Artemis get out of Saturday training?" Wally whined, rotating his still sore shoulder as he moved to exit the training hall with the rest of the team.

"She had more . . . pressing matters to attend to," Black Canary supplied vaguely.

Wally crossed his arms, not really buying it. He couldn't imagine what she had to do that was more important than a training session with Black Canary. After showering and changing back into his civilian clothes and sunglasses, Robin made his way to the common room and plopped down on the couch, intent on wasting the rest of his Saturday on mind-numbing video games. Before he could boot up the PS3, however, Wally dropped down next to him.

"So . . . how's school going?" Kid Flash tried to ask casually.

Hip to his friend's game, he replied, "Gee, KF, I didn't know you were concerned about my academic success."

Wally gave him a dirty look. "You know what I'm talking about."

"Nothing out of the ordinary's happened since she started at the Academy. So far, all I've seen is that the girls treat her poorly because she's not rich, and the guys fall all over themselves to talk to her because she's one of the prettiest girls in the place."

A sour look consumed Wally's face and Robin couldn't help but wonder at the reason behind it.

"Has she, uh . . . dated anyone since she started?" the speedster suddenly asked, thinking of the boy who had waved Artemis over the day he'd given her a lift.

Robin gave his friend a funny look. "How should I know? I'm keeping an eye on her to watch for trouble, not track how many dates she can score. Although, I did see her get asked to Homecoming yesterday by one of the wealthiest students in school," he revealed.

That didn't make Wally feel any better. "She didn't say yes, did she?"

Robin shrugged. "I don't know. It didn't look like it, but I don't think she said no either." The younger boy raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Why do you care, anyway?"

"I don't!" Wally insisted. "I'm just shocked anyone would wanna ask someone like Artemis, that's all."

"Oh yeah, because no guy wants to take a pretty girl," Robin deadpanned. "And don't even say she's not. She's pretty and you know it. You don't have to like it, but you can't deny it."

"Whatever," Wally scoffed. He rose from the couch and turned on the PS3. Grabbing two controllers, he tossed one at Robin, effectively ending the conversation he no longer wished to have. The Boy Wonder caught it effortlessly and settled back into the couch, happy to drop the subject.

**x x x**

**Mount Justice**

**September 17, 17:00 EDT**

No matter how many times she died, each time hurt just as much as the last.

The pain she could deal with, it was the coming back to life part that she would never get used to. It wasn't natural and it creeped her out. In her room at Mount Justice, Artemis pulled her ruined shirt over her head and tossed it in the small wastebasket in the corner. It was a good thing she had being stealthy down to an art form. She would have had a hard time explaining her bloodied shirt to the others if they'd seen her come in. She walked in front of the mirror and examined the wounds she'd received earlier at the hands of her father and Jade. The skin around all three was red and still tender, but the holes were closed and no longer bleeding. She had a feeling she was currently a faster healer than even Wally. Disgusted by the ugly welts marring her body, Artemis quickly changed her bra then pulled a clean shirt from her closet and yanked it on. She just wanted to go home, it'd been a long and exhausting day for her, but she had strict orders from Batman to come directly to headquarters to meet with him once she was done on Infinity Island. On her way to the briefing room, she passed by the kitchen. Wally was rooting through the fridge for a soda when she walked through.

He looked over at the blonde and frowned. "Oh, look who decided to join us _after _practice. How convenient you could make it here for the dinner Megan's gonna cook, but not for our training session," he said, still sore about her getting to ditch Saturday practice.

Without looking at the redhead she said, "Don't start with me, Wally."

"No really, what was so important that you couldn't be here like the rest of us?" he asked, following her out of the kitchen, his search for something to drink forgotten. "It better have been important, like a mission with Green Arrow, because if it was just a stupid date or somethin'-"

Wally's sentence was cut short when Artemis spun around and shoved him up against the wall. After the day she'd had, she didn't have the patience for their usual banter. She let her cold eyes do the talking and they were effective enough to silence any further comments the redhead could think of. She only held him there for a moment before she wordlessly released him and walked away.

_What the hell was that all about?_ Wally thought as he watched her turn the corner. Sure he was badgering her, but he didn't think it warranted her severe reaction. It definitely wasn't the acidic comeback he'd been expecting. Truth be told, he actually thought the way she had pinned him against the wall would have been kind of hot if the look in her eyes hadn't been so grim.

When Artemis entered the briefing room, Batman was already waiting for her.

"Well?" he asked simply, getting straight to it.

She held up two fingers backwards. "Twice for being insubordinate. Counting Friday at the fair, that's three deaths in two days, a new record," she informed, her voice acrid.

"And the mark?"

"Still there, although it fades a little more each time. I don't know how long it's going to last. Doesn't change anything though."

Batman nodded his head. "Have you managed to gather any new information?"

"Just that Sportsmaster got away with one vile of the Kobra Venom from Santa Presca and that they intend to reverse engineer it so they can unlock the formula and begin production again. Still not sure what they plan to do with it though."

"Finding out what the Shadows intend to do with the Kobra Venom is priority alpha. Do whatever you need to acquire that information," Batman ordered.

"Understood."

Knowing that she was dismissed, Artemis let herself out of the briefing room. Since she'd become a double agent for the Justice League, most of her meetings with Batman had been like that, short and concise. He was a man of few words who wanted results not excuses. She liked that about him. A part of her wished he could be her fake mentor instead of Green Arrow. Not that she didn't like the man, he was kind to her and had made her an even better archer than she'd been before teaming up with him, and considering how good she was with a bow prior to joining the team, that was saying something. He was just a tad too sentimental for her. Despite his former sidekick's desertion, he constantly told stories and reminisced about old missions he'd completed with Red Arrow back when he was still Speedy, stories Artemis had no desire to hear considering Red Arrow's attitude towards her.

Unfortunately, her particular skill and Green Arrrow's opening for a new sidekick led to him being the best and most realistic option for her cover story. Not to mention their shared hair color helped pass her off as his niece, explaining her ability to master the bow so quickly. It was enough to get the young heroes to accept her onto their team – for the most part anyway – and posing as Green Arrow's new protégé helped convince the Shadows that she'd been accepted by the Justice League and had successfully infiltrate the team of sidekicks just as they'd ordered her to do. Naturally, she had no qualms about lying to the Shadows, but she did hate lying to the Team. Batman had given strict orders to everyone in on the secret to keep it as such. He did like his secrets. Not even every member of the Justice League knew Artemis's true role, only the select few that had to. Green Arrow, Black Canary, Red Tornado, and Batman, that was it, they were the only people who knew about Artemis's parental lineage, her unique ability, and that she was working as a double agent to help bring the League of Shadows down from the inside out. Artemis understood Batman's order to keep everything a secret; fewer people in on it meant fewer chances for her cover to be blown. The logic behind it made perfect sense, but it didn't make lying to her new teammates any easier . . .

As she passed through the kitchen for the second time, Wally was still there, throwing back a Coke. She stopped and they regarded each other silently for a moment. Suddenly, Wally spoke.

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to be nicer to me, I did save your life yesterday."

_Of course he'd play that card,_ Artemis thought.

He was still right though. True she technically died before he was able to get her out of the funhouse, but if she'd stayed in there, there was a good possibility the fire would have destroyed her body, the mark along with it, and there would be no coming back from that.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

Wally almost dropped his soda. "Come again?" he asked, not believing what he heard.

"You heard me," Artemis replied, not willing to repeat it. Apologizing to Wally West once was more than enough. "Even though you were being totally annoying earlier, after what you did for me yesterday, I shouldn't have acted the way I did."

It wasn't the nicest apology, but he could tell it was sincere so he was willing to take it. Regardless, Wally couldn't manage to stay angry with his blonde teammate anyway. He was still just happy she had survived the funhouse fire from the previous day. Especially when, for a moment, he actually thought she hadn't.

"Apology accepted."

"Good," Artemis responded. Then she added, "And . . . thank you, for coming back for me yesterday."

A cocky smile lit up Wally's face. "Hey, it's what we good guys do," he said, his words reminding her of a similar comment he'd made to her in Bialya.

"Yeah, I guess it is," she replied, rewarding the redhead with a small smile of her own.

She was still getting used to having people she could count on. No one from the Shadows would have gone back in that burning building to rescue her, their motto might as well have been: every man for themselves. But on this team nothing could be farther from the truth. Even though she and Wally rarely saw eye-to-eye, he still risked his own life to save hers. It was actually rather comforting to know the others had her back just as she had theirs.

Megan suddenly walked into the room, effectively ending the small moment the two were sharing. When her soft brown eyes fell on Artemis she smiled.

"Oh good, you're here. I was just about to start dinner and I didn't think you were going to be joining us since you weren't at practice today."

"Actually, I was gonna head home."

Megan frowned. "What? Why?"

"I have some stuff I gotta do, and-"

"Stuff that I'm sure can wait," Wally interrupted as he walked towards the archer. "You know Saturday night dinners have become a regular thing for the Team. As a member, attendance is mandatory."

"No it's not," Artemis replied flatly.

"Well with the delicious dinners Megan cooks it should be."

"Yes, please stay for dinner, Artemis," Megan pleaded, turning on her puppy dog eyes.

"How can you say no to that?" Wally questioned. He slapped Artemis on the back as he said, "So it's settled, you're staying for dinner with the rest of us."

Artemis grimaced at the contact and bit her tongue to keep from crying out. Her back still sore from the fatal wounds she'd received not five hours before, she could have dismembered Wally limb from limb for touching her there so haphazardly. The only thing that saved him from a lot of pain was the fact that he had no idea what he'd done. As much as she just wanted to go home and sleep, she couldn't deny it felt good to be wanted, that people desired to be around her for who she was and not what she could do for them.

"Alright fine," she conceded.

"Yippy!" Megan said and jumped up in the air before she began to rush around the kitchen gathering the supplies and ingredients she'd need to start cooking. "You won't regret it, Artemis. This is gonna be my best meal yet!" the Martian rambled on as she worked.

Artemis just smiled in return. What was a few more hours spent in good company? She could always sleep all day tomorrow. That's what Sunday's were for.

**x x x **

**Gotham Academy**

**September 19, 12:03 EDT**

_Right on time,_ Artemis thought as she felt the now familiar presence of someone's gaze on her.

She'd been on her way to the cafeteria to join Evan for lunch when she felt her skin crawl, her own natural signal that let her know she was being watched. This happened everyday at the beginning of lunch since she'd started at the academy and she was done. After the weekend she'd had, she was in no mood to be spied on.

This was going to stop, today.

Halfway to the lunchroom Artemis changed gears and made a mad dash for an access door that led to one of the relaxing courtyards. She could feel the spy pursuing her.

_That's it, come on, _she thought as she swung the heavy wooden door open and rushed through.

The courtyard was boxed in by a high stone wall that matched the school building and it was deserted. By the time her follower made it through the door, Artemis seemed to have disappeared among the foliage. Not one to be deterred, the spy walked slowly, eyes darting around. Whoever it was deliberately stayed in the shadows, trying to conceal themselves somewhat, but Artemis had no trouble seeing the outline of the person. As the spy passed under the tree Artemis was up, she released her hold on the branches and dropped down behind the individual. Her hands were immediately on the person and she roughly held them against the trunk of the tree before they knew what was happening.

"Who are you? And why are you following me?" Artemis demanded as she took in the spy's appearance.

It was a boy, younger than her and a bit on the short side. He had short hair as black as coal, and his eyes were a bright shade of blue. He had the full Gotham Academy uniform on, from the sweater vest to the blazer. He looked surprised at having been caught but more importantly, he looked kind of familiar . . .

"Answer me!" Artemis demanded. "You've been spying on me since I started here, why?"

"No, I haven't been spying on you," the boy argued. "I just really wanted to meet you, but haven't had the courage to come talk to you yet-"

"Bullshit."

"No really. My name's Richard, my friends call me Dick. I wanted to introduce myself to you on your first day, but since I'm only a freshman I didn't think you'd give me the time of day . . ."

Artemis stared intently at the boy's face as she listened to his story. Not only did he look familiar, but his voice was one she'd definitely heard before. She knew the boy, that much was certain, but she could not place him. Clearly there was more to this then he was admitting. She knew he wasn't just a normal student here; otherwise he wouldn't have been able to watch her for so long without being seen. No, he was someone special, someone who'd had formal training, like her.

Uncomfortable with her heavy gaze boring into him, the young man cleared his throat. "Uh . . . aren't you gonna say anything?"

The blonde ignored his words and brought a hand up to his face, her eyes never wavering from his. Slowly she placed her hand over his sharp blue eyes, blocking them out from view. She gasped at the result. With his distracting eyes covered as they usually were, Artemis had no trouble seeing it. She could easily envision the cape with the bright yellow backing around his shoulders and the deep red shirt with the trademark "R" on his chest.

"Robin?" she whispered, shocked.

The Boy Wonder's mind was in a frantic whirlwind, but he did managed to processes one coherent thought:

_Shit, Batman's gonna be pissed._

_**To be continued . . . **_

**A/N: **Guess Robin should have listened to Wally lol If you are confused about anything and have questions, please feel free to ask, I'll be happy to answer them as long as the answer doesn't give parts of the story away that will be revealed with time :) I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review and let me know what you think please! I love all the feedback I've gotten from you guys so far :) It's part of the reason I've been getting these chapters out quickly, lots of inspiration.

_**SakuraJade**_


	5. The Boy Behind the Mask

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay. I've had a bit of writer's block, and my supposed sinus infection is still hovering around making me miserable off and on, which has made it hard to want to sit down and focus on writing for this story. If it's not gone soon it's off to the ENT. I've also been suffering from bouts of acute insomnia (we're talking not falling asleep for over 72 hrs) which makes me too unfocused to do much of anything (it's frustrating b/c I can't sleep, but I'm too tired mentally to get up and do something productive so I end up lying there all night bored). So again, my apologies.

Anyway, I assume the team has mandatory practices at the same time on certain days, so for the sake of this story I picked Tues evenings, Thurs evenings (5:00 would be about an hour and a half after school, it'd only be 4:00 in Central City, but with Wally's super speed I figure he can zip over as soon as school lets out around 3:30 (at least that's what time it was on the clock of Keystone High when he came flying out the doors at the beginning of the ep Infiltrators), making a half hour more than enough time for him to get to Mt. Justice, especially with the zeta tubes), and Sat afternoons. Just wanted to point that out in case some of the readers noticed that I keep using the same days of the week. It's not laziness, I promise lol

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice. DC Comics, Warner Bros., and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

_Italics_ mean thoughts

"_Italics within quotes" _mean telepathy

_A half truth is a whole lie . . ._

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 5: The Boy Behind the Mask_

**Gotham Academy**

**September 19, 12:07 EDT**

He'd been out-ninjaed.

Eyes wide, Dick stared at Artemis, shocked by her accusation and the fact that he'd been caught spying on her. He was supposed to be the best on the team! _He_ was the one with the most training, the most experience . . . or was he? Dick wasn't so sure anymore. He knew the day Batman and Green Arrow introduced the blonde archer to the rest of the team that something wasn't quite kosher. When Green Arrow said she was his niece, Robin deliberately said: "Another niece?" in a doubtful tone to let Batman know he wasn't buying everything they were saying hook, line, and sinker like the others might. After all, what were the odds _two _JL members had worthy nieces? But, because he trusted his mentor with every fiber of his being, he'd let it go. Now he knew he'd been right to be doubtful. Clearly there was more to Artemis then the team had been led to believe. Not only had she not been Green Arrow's sidekick for very long but, niece or not, she never would have picked up the skills she'd just displayed working with the hero of Star City. To do "the ninja thing" – as Wally liked to call it – better than him meant she'd had some serious training. The real question was: by whom?

Robin still trusted Batman and Green Arrow's decision to place her in the group, but he definitely wasn't happy about being out of the loop so-to-speak. If he hadn't been, he wouldn't have severely underestimated Artemis, and he might not have gotten caught keeping an eye on her as Batman had ordered. He'd have to talk to his partner about that after school.

Artemis's look of surprise was quickly turning into one of anger.

She figured the Justice League had people keeping an eye on her at Gotham Academy, but she hadn't expected the spy to be her own teammate! She had no idea Robin was even a student at the same school as her. It would have been a piece of information worth having. Her transition from Gotham North to Gotham Academy had not been a smooth one. Even though she hadn't interacted much with Robin since she joined the black ops team (oddly enough, the majority of her interactions had been with Wally, of all people), she liked to think she could consider him a friend all the same.

She could have used a friend.

"Start talking," she ordered, her grip slackening on his blazer only slightly.

There was nothing he could say about his identity; that was clearly blown. But he could still salvage the reason behind his watchful eye.

"I'm sorry, Artemis. I know you've been having a hard time at school, but you know Batman's rule about my civilian identity being a secret. I was afraid if I approached you outright you might figure out who I was by my voice or personality. I didn't know what else to do so . . . I thought I'd at least keep an eye on you from the background," he explained, hoping his answer sounded plausible to her. It wasn't like he wasn't genuinely concerned about her wellbeing.

She didn't doubt Robin cared about the tough time she'd been having at the Academy, but she didn't believe that was really why he'd been spying on her. His statement was a half truth, and half truths might as well be whole lies. But, who was she to judge? Of all the members on their team, she was harboring the most secrets, telling the most lies. If she was going to have beef with anyone it should be the Dark Knight, not the Boy Wonder. After all, he would have been the one who ordered Robin to keep an eye on her while neglecting to tell her. She'd be having a talk with Batman about this. Two could play this game.

When Artemis didn't respond, Robin continued, "So . . . are we okay?"

The blonde finally released her hold on the younger boy. "Yeah, I guess." She swept her eyes over him then raised an eyebrow as she said, "But, the sweater vest? Seriously?"

Robin glanced down at the grey sweater vest made of wool that lay beneath his crisp navy blue blazer.

"What? I think it makes me look refined," he responded with a hearty chuckle.

Dick Grayson's laughter was just as infectious as Robin's, and Artemis found herself quickly joining in.

**x x x **

**Mount Justice**

**September 20, 18:00 EDT**

With after school practice over for the day, Artemis made her way to the briefing room where Batman would be waiting to meet with her. She had a bone to pick with him. When she reached her destination, she securely shut the door behind her. Then she turned her glare on the hero of Gotham, which didn't seem to faze him in the least.

"You have some explaining to do," she began. "I don't appreciate you sending your little bird to spy on me at school. We're on the same side. I don't need a babysitter, least of all one two years younger than me."

When her words didn't elicit a reaction, Artemis figured Dick already told his mentor what happened on Monday. Batman wasn't surprised Artemis had discovered Dick was spying on her. With the training she'd received from Sportsmaster the majority of her life, he figured it was only a matter of time before she caught the boy. He was good, but he didn't really stand a chance against the archer when it came down to it. She simply had way more training, not that Dick knew that.

"I'm proud of how long he lasted," Batman said. "Trying to spy on someone of your caliber without getting caught was good training for him. But, I didn't have him watching you. I had him watching out for trouble that might be caused _because _of you."

Artemis didn't expect that. "What do you mean?"

"I've been concerned about what the Shadows might do. The lack of useful information you feed them is bound to make their patience wear thin. Robin's objective was to watch you for signs of trouble, although I never made it clear to him why. The point of his spying was so that if the Shadows tried anything while you were at school, Robin would be there to back you up. Clearly my precautionary measure was justified considering the events at Happy Harbor last Saturday."

"You know with my ability I don't really need backup," she pointed out.

"The backup wasn't for you. It was for the safety of the civilians who might be put in harm's way, like the children Cheshire used in the funhouse."

His logic was sound, but Artemis was still angry he hadn't bothered telling her Robin was going to be on the lookout.

"I understand that, but there's no reason you couldn't tell me you were going to have Robin watching me. I should have been in on this. If we're going to work together, then you need to tell me these kinds of things, _Bruce_."

For the first time she got a reaction out of her superior. The eyes behind his cowl narrowed dangerously, and his already tense form was so ridged he looked as if he'd been stricken with rigor mortis.

"What? You didn't think I'd figure your identity out if I found out Robin's? Give me some credit. I figured from the day I started working with the other junior heroes that the reason you insist Dick keeps his civilian identity a secret from us is because it's strongly linked to yours. Bruce Wayne takes in the orphan Dick Grayson, the boy who moonlights as Robin, and by chance he not only has a similar build to Batman, but he's got enough money and access to technology for all the advanced gizmos and gadgets the dynamic duo uses. Even someone without my training could connect those dots eventually." At the threatening look she was receiving, Artemis held up her hands in a calming manner. "Relax, I'd never blow your cover, or Robin's for that matter. I'm just saying I'm putting my entire existence on the line to help the Justice League; the least you could do is keep me well informed. I'm in a different league than the others on this team, so you'd better treat me like it."

Her peace said, the blonde swiftly exited the room, Batman's hidden eyes trailing after her. Her attitude aside, she really was a skillful individual. She'd make a fine addition to the Justice League in the future, if she could manage to come out of all this in one piece.

**x x x**

**Mount Justice**

**September 24, 13:05 EDT**

Wally didn't know what was going on, but he was _not _happy about it.

He watched bitterly as Robin and Artemis walked into the training room together for the mandatory Saturday training session. They were laughing and gently pushing each other playfully, not paying attention to anyone else in the room. They'd been acting like that all week.

Not only did he seem to be losing his best friend to his frenemy of all people, but the attention he'd found himself recently desiring from Artemis was being directed at Robin instead. He didn't know what to make of it. Since Artemis joined the group, try as he might, he couldn't once recall the two participating in a conversation together. In fact, if he really thought about it, Wally realized that, out of all the members on the team, _he'd_ interacted the most with Artemis. True most of the time they were slinging insults, but it still counted. They'd hardly talked since the team dinner last Saturday; Artemis seemed to constantly be preoccupied with Robin, something Wally was only too aware of. He was dying to know what had suddenly changed between the pair to make them so close. The redhead watched with narrowed eyes as Artemis swatted at Robin for something he'd said, a bright smile on her face, her dark eyes shining behind her green mask. Wallywanted that smile directed at _him_, not Robin. In the back of his mind, the speedster couldn't help wondering if Artemis would actually go for the Boy Wonder. He was two years younger than her at a time in their lives when two years was a big difference. But he was smart and charismatic and pretty well built for a kid of only thirteen . . . Never mind his status as partner to the world renowned Batman. Would those factors outweigh the age difference?

Wally really hoped not.

Black Canary entered the room and called everyone's attention, breaking Wally's train of thought.

"Today's lesson is going to be a little different. We're going to play tag." She let that sink in for a second before adding, "Wally, you're 'it'."

"What? Why do I have to be it?" he complained.

"You get to use your super speed," she revealed.

"I'm it!" Wally announced, a wide smile on his face. Catch the others with his super speed? Piece of cake!

Black Canary walked over to the control panel and began typing as she said, "The rest of you are to dodge Wally at all costs. I don't care how you do it, be creative. If you manage to tag someone, they become 'it' next and so on and so forth."

She finished typing and different sized shapes appeared throughout the room serving as obstacles. "Training program three accessed," the computer announced.

Wally lightly kicked a large, grey cube-like thing and was surprised when his foot made contact with it rather than passing through it. "Cool, this is just like the holodeck from Star Trek. You know, where items appear real even though they aren't as long as they stay in the room they were created in."

"You are _such_ a nerd," Artemis commented.

Wally shot her a dirty look. "Just for that, I'm tagging you," he said, pointing at her as he spoke.

Her rosy lips curved into a smirk. "Come and get me if you can," she replied, accepting the challenge.

**x x x**

Nobody could say Wally didn't try. He might have been the fastest boy alive, but Artemis was no slouch. In fact, with all the obstacles in his way and everybody using their special skills, he was having trouble tagging anybody. As soon as the game started, Megan went invisible so Wally didn't even consider tagging her. Artemis and Robin couldn't turn invisible like Megan, but they might as well have since they were busy being ninjas among the obstacles, leaving Wally with no idea where they were hiding. He tried for Kaldur, but the Atlantean used his tattoos to generate enough water to create a puddle large enough for Wally to slip on, causing him to slide right past the team leader and into the wall. Flat on his back, staring up at the grey ceiling, Artemis's face suddenly appeared over his, a mischievous smile on her lips.

"Smooth," she said, tapping his forehead with her finger tauntingly."You're gonna have to try a lot harder than that if you plan on catching me."

With a growl, Kid Flash scrambled to his feet, but by then the blonde had vanished again. He didn't care if it would be easier to tag a different member of the team; he was going to get Artemis no matter what. Robin decided to get in on the action and poked Wally in the back while laughing.

"For being so fast you sure are slow!" he cackled, egging his friend on.

Wally whirled around to face the Boy Wonder but he was already ducking behind an oblong obstacle. Before the speedster could move, a hand connected with the back of his head in a quick swipe, followed by another snide comment from Artemis. After a few minutes of this, the game of tag had broken down into one of Robin and Artemis teasing Wally. The other three teammates, clearly no longer participants, sat down on the side to watch in amusement. Kid Flash was growing more and more irritated with each passing minute. It was bad enough that he hadn't managed to tag Robin or Artemis despite the fact that they were openly goading him, but they were ganging up on him as well. Even though he was allowed to use his super speed, the obstacles in the room prevented him from moving as fast as he would have liked, forcing him to settle for above average sprints. Plus, they helped Artemis and Robin dodge his advances while supplying places to hide. He was running out of time. The training session would be over with soon, and he wouldn't have managed to tag a single member on the team.

Talk about a blow to his self-esteem.

"What did I tell you when we trained together two weeks ago?" Artemis's voice suddenly sounded from nearby. "Speed isn't everything! Stop rushing around and try concentrating on where we might be!"

"Don't tell me what to do! You're not the boss of me," Wally barked back.

Despite his irritated response, he still came to a halt and took a deep breath in an attempt to relax. The room was quiet as he focused on his target. He pinpointed Robin's whereabouts first as the younger boy was currently moving towards the speedster behind the objects in an attempt to tease him some more. Wally ignored him. He didn't want Robin, he wanted Artemis. It _had _to be Artemis. And then his eyes homed in on it. A flash of silken blonde, a smattering of green moving between objects on the other side of the room. Just as Robin moved out of hiding to poke Kid Flash again, Wally rocketed out of his reach. He moved along the straightest path in order to maintain the highest amount of speed he could within the training room.

Artemis didn't know what hit her, literally. One minute she was watching Wally a safe distance away, the next he was a blur of red and yellow and she was lying on her back, him on top of her, the wind all but knocked out of her from the force at which he'd tackled her. She couldn't help but smile as she stared into his vibrant green eyes. The look on his face was worth getting tagged. It was a look of surprise and elation wrapped into one at having caught her. It was, dare she even think it, kind of cute . . .

When Wally looked down he expected to see irritation and anger on the archer's face at his success in catching her. Instead all he saw was a gentle smile and what looked like satisfaction twinkling in her dark eyes. She was actually pleased with his performance.

"Now that was impressive," she spoke softly.

His look quickly changed to one of near bashfulness at her statement. He'd never received anything close to a complement from Artemis before. It was strange, but in a really good way. He had no idea how much he'd wanted to hear something like that from her until he actually did. That thought scared Wally. Since when did he care what Artemis thought of him? Scarier still was the fact that he liked the feel of her body pinned beneath his. Instead of wanting to scramble as far away from the blonde as possible, like he should have, he actually wanted to run his hands along the curve of her hips (the ones he was forced to look at on a regular basis but never allowed to touch), which happened to be flush with his own, and pull her even closer if it were at all possible. Before he could do something that might very well end his life, the sound of someone clapping broke through his impure thoughts. He and Artemis turned their heads to see Black Canary slowly clapping her hands together as she approached them.

"Well done, Wally. That was quite a performance at the end."

"Yeah, except the game's called 'tag' not 'tackle,'" Robin joked. "Anyway, you two gonna stay like that all day or what?"

Blushing furiously, Wally and Artemis sprang to their feet, eyes refusing to meet.

"I think that's enough for today. You're all dismissed," their instructor announced.

**x x x**

After cleaning up and changing back into civilian clothes, Wally headed for the kitchen to grab a snack to tide him over until Megan cooked dinner. As he approached the end of the hallway that led into the kitchen he heard voices. As they grew louder he realized they belonged to the two female members of the team. Naturally, his curiosity got the better of him, and he just had to eavesdrop.

"I just found out that Happy Harbor High's Homecoming is next month," Megan squealed. "There's a pep rally and a big football game that the cheerleaders put on a huge half time show for, which I'll be part of since I _am_ a cheerleader now," she giggled, "and the next day there's a big social function where everyone dresses fancy in pretty dresses and suits! My new friends on the squad called it a 'dance.' I'm so excited!" A shy look suddenly replaced her excited one. "I was thinking of asking Conner . . . you know, to be my date. Do you think he'd say yes if I ask?"

Artemis smiled reassuringly at her friend. "Sure. You guys have gotten pretty close in the last month."

It was clear that the mission to Bialya hadn't been an odd experience for Wally and Artemis alone. Ever since the team had returned, Megan and Conner seemed closer. Artemis couldn't pinpoint how exactly, she just knew that things had changed between them. Unlike the seemingly temporary change in the relationship between her and Wally, the relationship change between Megan and Conner seemed pretty stable.

The Martian's green cheeks turned a nice shade of red. "Yeah, I know. I guess I'm just a little worried he might say no because he wouldn't want to go to something like this."

"If it means going with you, I'm sure he'd be more than willing."

The smile on Megan's face brightened as she asked, "What about your school? Do they have Homecoming there?"

"Of course. Every high school has Homecoming. Colleges too actually, and it always takes place during fall semester," Artemis explained matter-of-factly.

"I see," Megan replied. "So it's an Earth thing."

"It's not so much an Earth thing as a United States thing."

"Oh. Well, are you going to attend your Homecoming?"

Wally held his breath. He didn't care that Megan was dying to go with Superboy, it just didn't bother him like it should have. He did, however, care if Artemis planned on going to Gotham Academy's Homecoming, more specifically, if she planned on going with a date. Something he should _not_ care about, but oddly did.

Artemis shook her head. "Nah."

Wally exhaled as relief flooded through him, to his utter surprise. He chided himself for his reaction. It didn't matter if Artemis had a date lined up for Homecoming, it didn't make a difference, or so he insisted to himself.

Megan frowned at her friend. "But why?" She couldn't imagine a girl not wanting to go to something like that, it sounded like so much fun when her Earth friends explained it to her.

"It's just not really my thing, you know?"

It was at this point that Wally decided to throw in his two cents. He approached the girls, gaining their attention when he'd gotten close enough.

"It's better you don't go anyway. You probably wouldn't be able to get a date even if you tried," he commented in an offhand tone even though he knew that wasn't true.

Robin had even informed him that someone from their school had asked Artemis already. It was a stupid thing to say, but he said it anyway just to try and get under her skin. He was irritated that she'd taken over Robin, and even more so that she hadn't paid him the slightest bit of attention all week, even though he told himself repeatedly that he shouldn't – and therefore didn't – want anything more to do with the archer than was necessary for the team. No, the strong desire to be closer to her – among other things – that forcefully stirred deep inside of him earlier when his body had been pressing down on hers was nothing. His hormones didn't know the difference between one girl and another, and would flare up no matter who the female pinned beneath him had been, that was all.

He pressed on. "Anybody dumb enough to take you out would regret it by the end of the night anyway."

Artemis's eyes narrowed as anger began to roll off her body in waves. What did he know? She couldn't believe that a part of her had actually enjoyed the physical contact they'd had, even if it had been inadvertent, not 30 minutes ago. How he could go from almost cute to infuriating in such a short amount of time, she would never understand. All he had to do was open his mouth it seemed, which was something he did constantly of course.

"Not that it's really any of _your _business, but somebody already asked me to go, and I think I'll take him up on his offer after all," she replied coolly.

Artemis had actually been planning to stick around for Megan's Saturday night dinner, but she wasn't willing to end up in another pointless argument with Kid Mouth. She turned her back on him and stomped towards the hall that would lead her to the Gotham City zeta tube, Wally's eyes following her until she was out of sight. Once she was gone he let out a halfhearted sigh. She wasn't going to attend Gotham Academy's Homecoming; she'd had no interest in going. And now she was on account of his big mouth. Wally could have smacked himself.

It was painfully ironic.

Robin walked into the kitchen, passing Megan as she left, and Wally zipped over to him, anxious to speak with him.

"Hey, why are you and Artemis so close all of a sudden?" Wally demanded outright.

Caught off guard, Robin paused in his stride. His eyebrows rose over his sunglasses.

"What?"

"You and Artemis. What's with the buddy-buddy act all of a sudden? You guys have hardly talked since she joined the team. Suddenly, you two are practically inseparable! What's the deal?"

"Nothing," Robin replied.

"That's definitely not 'nothing.'"

"Why does it matter anyway?"

"It doesn't! I just-look just tell me what's been going on!"

Robin had been having suspicions about Wally's behavior when it came to their blonde teammate, suspicions that were supported by the way his best friend had asked if Artemis had gone on any dates since switching schools, and by the way he was staring at her after he'd tackled her during their training session earlier. And now the speedster was practically attacking him simply because he and Artemis had been spending more time in each other's presence than they had previously. If Robin didn't know any better, he'd think Wally was-

"Wait, are you actually jealous?" the Boy Wonder voiced aloud, a smirk making its way to his face.

"Of course not!" Wally denied despite the reddening of his cheeks.

"Dude, you totally are, aren't you!" Robin all but laughed. At Wally's near murderous look, he said, "Look, there's definitely nothing going on between us, so you don't have anything to worry about."

"I'm _not_ worried," Wally insisted.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say."

"I just don't get it. What does she have that you suddenly want to spend so much time around her?"

"I told you, nothing. We just have some things in common that's all. Like being the only two on the team without any actual powers and living in Gotham. Plus we attended the Academy together too. She's kind of like the sister I never had, that's all," Robin replied, not thinking much of his answer.

And then it hit Wally. Maybe it wasn't so much what she had but what she _knew_. Robin's civilian identity was something he didn't get to share with anyone. But what if someone did know? Wouldn't that automatically make him close to that person by default, even if they hadn't had much of a relationship before? If the Academy was something they had in common and Artemis knew that, then there was a good chance she figured out who Robin was out of costume, especially since the boy had been charged with following her around on a daily basis. Wally knew that had been a risky move on the Dark Knight's part. Artemis had proven to be just as apt at being sneaky as Robin. It was the only thing he could think of that would suddenly make the two of them so close. Artemis had to have found out Robin's civilian alias.

Robin watched as a myriad of indistinguishable emotions passed over his best friend's face in a matter of seconds. Then Wally looked him straight in the eye and said, "Artemis knows your secret identity, doesn't she? That's why you two are suddenly so close, isn't it?"

Robin was struck speechless. It was times like these that he had to admit nobody gave Wally enough credit when it came to his intellectual level. When his friend didn't respond, Wally went on, his voice angry and bitter.

"I can't believe you won't tell me but you told her! You hardly know her! I'm your best friend!" he yelled, flailing his arms about in frustration.

He'd always wanted to know Robin's identity. After all, they were best friends and Robin knew his identity, it was only fair that Wally knew Robin's. But his friend was adamant about keeping it a secret, and even though he didn't like it, Wally respected his decision. He'd teased Robin here and there about being so secretive, but he'd _never _pushed the boy to tell him. They'd been friends for quite a while now, but Wally still didn't know who Robin really was and therefore hardly knew anything about the boy. And yet Artemis had waltzed unbidden onto their team and into their lives only last month and she knew who Robin was behind the mask and sunglasses. It was infuriating.

"No, it's not like that!" Robin insisted, not bothering to deny that Artemis knew. "You know Batman's rule! I didn't tell her, she-"

Overwhelmed with hurt and something akin to betrayal, Wally glared at his supposed friend and cut him off. "You know what? Just save it," he said before he blurred out of Robin's sight.

_**To be continued . . . **_

**A/N:** Meh, not my favorite chapter, but I'd still really like to know what you guys think. I've loved the feedback I've gotten so far, so much that I've read all of your comments more than once :) So thank you so much for taking the time to leave them, really. Again I apologize for the amount of time between updates. Hopefully the spitfire moments and drama made up for it some. See you in chapter 6 (which I have started at least).

_**SakuraJade**_


	6. A Rose Among Thorns

**A/N:** Sorry this note is so long, but if you care about the consistency of this story in regard to the canon story then read it, if not skip it.

**Issues with canon consistency: **Okay, I was under the impression from the 10 eps and 6 issues I'd read that Wally does not know Robin's civilian alias YET. However, a few people reviewed saying that he found out before the show began. _**Achingly **_was nice enough to tell me about the Ask Greg website (which is a really cool site) in a PM and it does say on there that Wally knows and Dick knows he knows b/c he told him himself. Since Greg is one of the creators it's solid info. However, I personally think that's kind of cheap seeing how they make it sound like nobody knew Robin's id and anybody who wasn't privy to the Ask Greg website, such as myself when I started this fic, wouldn't even know Wally actually knows, which is pretty lame, but whatever. Anyway, that being the case, **for all intents and purposes, for this story Wally had no knowledge of Robin's id at the start of the show. I hate to mess with that but I kind of have to now. Gr.** Thanks a lot, Greg (lol).

Also, Artemis's mother has "screen time" in this chapter, for lack of a better word. We only saw her briefly in the ep Downtime, and now in the newest issue of the comic (issue 7), so I don't have much to go on as far as her personality is concerned, meaning I'm kind of winging it. So bear with me please. As for her role, thanks to issue 7 alluding more to Artemis's background, back stories that I initially came up with for this story aren't canon compliant now. Since I can still technically change some things around in this story that I haven't written yet so that the story still works and is more canon compliant (a few canon inconsistencies will still be present of course) I'm going to go ahead and do that. However, that does mean I had to go back and change one line in chapter 3 to do this. Kind of important for those who have already read this **b/c I alluded to Paula being crippled b/c of Sportsmaster, and though the comic actually sounds like it supports that, it doesn't support that in the way I was going for (as in she was crippled by his hand). So that has now been tweaked. This also means that things that have happened up to issue 7 (and most likely 8 as it will piggy back off 7) of the comic are compliant with my story (I'll just be adding/tweaking things). **

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice. DC Comics, Warner Bros., and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

Rated T for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

_Italics_ mean thoughts

"_Italics within quotes" _mean telepathy

_The Truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable . . ._

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 6: A Rose among Thorns_

**Gotham Academy**

**September 26, 15:45 EDT**

Evan turned around and waved again at Artemis, a goofy smile plastered on his face. Artemis forced a smile of her own and gave a small wave in return. As soon as Evan's sleek black town car pulled out of Gotham Academy's parking lot, Artemis replaced her fake smile with a frown. She'd met up with Evan after school to ask if his offer to attend the Homecoming dance was still available. He'd been all too happy that she'd come around to the idea of going with him. And now she was stuck buying a dress she couldn't afford to attend a dance she didn't even want to go to, and all because she let Wally get to her. She felt like such an idiot. What was she hoping to accomplish anyway? To prove to him that, although he didn't like her, there were plenty of boys that did? Or maybe she was secretly hoping to make the speedster jealous. At this point, it didn't really matter; it was done now so she had to let it go. She supposed it could be worse. At least she liked Evan, maybe not as much as he seemed to like her, but it was something, and she was sure he'd be a good date. She turned away from the parking lot and headed for the front of the school to start her own journey home, but stopped when she saw who was waiting for her a few feet away.

"Yo," Dick said with a nod of his head. "What are you still doing here? You're usually gone the second they release us from this prison, as you like to call it."

"I had to talk to Evan about Homecoming."

Together they started walking.

"You do know asking Evan just to spite Wally is incredibly stupid, right?"

Artemis scowled. "Shut up, it's not like that."

"Yeah, sure."

"Speaking of incredibly stupid, is Wally still being an idiot? I mean, he's always an idiot, but is he still being unreasonable about this secret identity thing?"

Dick heaved a sigh. "Yeah. He won't even give me two seconds to try and explain why you know. It's like he thinks I randomly decided to tell you who I am when I'm not Robin or something."

Artemis shook her head. "Typical Wally. Well, he probably would have found out that I know your identity eventually, so at least it's out in the open. The truth will set you free and all that junk, although it's been my experience that it'll make you miserable first."

"Oh, well in that case, I feel loads better now, thanks," Dick replied, voice heavy with sarcasm.

"After a moment of silence, Artemis spoke. "Not that I'm siding with him, but . . . well, would it be so bad if you did let him get to know Dick Grayson?" Dick gave his teammate an incredulous look. "Look, I know Batman's got his rules and all that, but this is Wally we're talking about. Yeah he's obnoxious and annoying, but . . . he's also a good guy. He is your best friend, right? You've been friends long enough to know you can trust him. He trusts you with his identity, so why shouldn't you trust him with yours? I'm just saying, even though he's being immature about this whole thing, I can understand why it bothers him. Just think about it, okay?"

"Even if I wanted to tell him, how can I? He won't give me the time of day right now."

"Just leave that part to me," Artemis responded vaguely.

Dick raised a questioning eyebrow at Artemis's statement, but she didn't elaborate further. A black town car, almost identical to the one Evan left in 10 minutes earlier pulled up to the curb outside the prestigious school, Alfred at the wheel. Dick opened the door and held it for his friend. At Artemis's blank stare, he rolled his blue eyes.

"Are we gonna have to go through this every day? I told you already, several times I might add, that it's no trouble giving you a ride across town, at least on the days the computer club doesn't meet. So get in already, will ya?"

"Please, Miss Crock, it is our pleasure to escort you home," Alfred's voice drifted back to them from the driver's seat.

Artemis wordlessly climbed into the back seat, Dick right behind her. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate Dick's generosity; she just hated feeling like a charity case.

**x x x **

Artemis trudged through the door of the small apartment she shared with her mother and dropped her backpack on the floor with a heavy thud before plopping down on the couch, her head hanging over the edge. Her mother, Paula, rolled into her line of sight, appearing upside down to Artemis from the angle her head was currently at.

"Rough day at school?" Paula asked, a smile on her face. She was still so happy her daughter had agreed to accept the scholarship she'd received to Gotham Academy that she always had a smile in place when they talked about anything school-related these days.

"The worst," Artemis groaned. "I got a date to the Homecoming dance."

Paula's smile only increased in size. "Honey, that's great!"

"No it's not. School dances usually cost a lot of money as it is, but this is a school full of rich kids. All the girls are going to be wearing dresses so expensive I can't even afford to stand in the stores they're sold in, much less buy one. I can't even afford a dress from a regular department store. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Who said you had to buy a dress?"

"Mom, it's a semi-formal event and I don't own any evening wear. I know I'm kind of a tomboy, but even I won't go to a Homecoming dance in a T-shirt and jeans," Artemis quipped.

"You won't have to. It should still be in my closet," her mother responded as she wheeled towards her bedroom.

Curious, Artemis swung herself right side up and followed. She glanced, as she always did when she walked down the hallway, at a spot on the wall that looked cleaner, brighter than the rest of the wall. Only two months ago, a picture of her mother and father in their wedding attire hung from that spot. When Paula returned from her six year absence, she'd told Lawrence, Artemis's father, that she was giving up "the life" as they called it, and that he had to as well or he was out. After he was gone, Paula took down their wedding picture. Artemis was glad her mother removed it. Paula had been away for six years, and not once had Lawrence contacted her. The picture was nothing but a lie. Her father didn't love anybody but himself. Despite the picture's absence, the bright spot on the wall that had been sheltered from dirt and sunlight for so many years was a constant reminder that it still existed, just like her father himself.

When Artemis entered Paula's room, her mother was in the processes of trying to retrieve something from her closet that she couldn't seem to quite reach.

"Let me get it," Artemis offered immediately.

Every time she saw her mother struggle with an everyday task, like getting in a building that didn't seem to have a handicap entrance or trying to get something from the back of her closet that she couldn't reach because she couldn't stand up, Artemis felt overcome with anger. After all, it was because of her father that her mother would spend the rest of her life confined to that wheelchair. He'd ruined both their lives, and Artemis was going to make sure he paid for it, one way or the other.

"It's the brown garment bag all the way in the back," her mother instructed, unaware of her daughter's inner thoughts. "So, who asked you? Evan or Dick?"

"Why do you assume it was Evan or Dick?" Artemis asked as she retracted her arm, the brown garment bag in her grip.

"Because, they're the only boys you ever talk about. Well, from school anyway," Paula added with a sly smile.

"Mom, complaining about having to work with Kid Flash doesn't count," Artemis argued, perturbed.

"That's not the way I see it."

"You're seeing things then."

"Artemis, I'm crippled, not blind," her mother countered.

Artemis didn't respond. She laid the garment bag on her mother's bed.

"So? Which boy was it? If you end up marrying either one of them you'll be set for life."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Put the brakes down for a sec, Mom. Dick and Evan are both just friends. That's it, period."

"That may be so, but some of the greatest romances started out as friendship." Her daughter shot her a warning look. "But for now we'll just focus on the dance. So, which one's the lucky guy?"

Artemis sighed. "Evan asked me and I finally decided to say yes. He'll take care of the tickets, but I'm on my own for attire."

"I don't think that will be a problem," Paula said, unzipping the brown bag and removing the garment as she spoke. "I've had this since I was a teenager. I wore it to the wedding of a close family friend in Vietnam. It should be about your size."

The garment was a dark royal blue silk chiffon that came all the way down to the ankle with slits on both sides that ran all the way up to the base of one's rib cage. The sleeves were long and the collar would sit high up on one's neck. Underneath the top layer was a second one, a long, silky skirt, the color of fresh snow. Tiny rhinestones were scattered all across the deep blue fabric, heavily beading the chest and tapering off half way down so that it looked like a meteor shower shooting across the midnight sky.

Artemis stared at it for a second before saying, "An Ao Dai? Isn't it a little . . . traditional?" she settled on, even though she really meant old fashioned.

"Maybe, but I can guarantee you'll outshine the girls in designer dresses with something unique like this, and you can't beat the price."

"Guess I can't argue with that."

At her daughter's less than excited look, Paula said, "The dance isn't for a few weeks, right? That will give me plenty of time to . . . modernize it."

Artemis smiled at that. Her mom could work miracles with a needle and thread. Of course, six years in a state penitentiary for her crimes as a Shadows operative had given her plenty of time to master the skill.

**x x x **

**Mount Justice**

**September 27, 18:10 EDT**

Artemis was heading for the zeta tube that would take her home after an uneventful practice. She'd planned on talking to Wally, maybe knock some sense into his thick skull, but he'd been the last to arrive for practice and the first to take off as soon as Black Canary said they were dismissed. She figured catching him at Mount Justice wasn't going to happen, but that was fine. Artemis was nothing if not resourceful. She'd already come up with a different tactic. She couldn't do it tomorrow, she changed her shifts at the local YMCA from Tuesdays and Thursdays to Mondays and Wednesdays after she missed her Thursday shift a few weeks back. It was too much in one day, school, practice, and work. Mondays and Wednesdays worked much better and she was so good that her boss was happy to let her switch if it meant keeping her on. So on Thursday, Wally was going to hear her out whether he liked it or not.

"Artemis, wait up!"

The blonde turned to see Megan floating towards her.

"What's up?" she asked once the Martian girl reached her.

"Um, do you have a second? I have a favor to ask you."

"What is it?"

Megan placed a hand behind her head, a nervous gesture Artemis picked up on.

"Well . . ."

**x x x **

**Keystone High School **

**September 29, 15:30 CDT**

Wally rushed through the front doors of his high school, the final bell still ringing as he did so. He always left in a hurry, anxious to get the most out of what was left of each day once he was released from school. It wasn't that he completely hated school; after all he loved his science classes, so much so that he was in all honors classes for that subject. It was all the other subjects that sucked. A few steps away from the front doors his eyes landed on someone and he froze. There, off to the side, leaning against a tree in the front courtyard was Artemis, still clad in her Gotham Academy uniform, her brown book bag at her feet. She had her arms crossed over her chest, one ankle over the other. The surprise her visit instilled in Wally caused her lips to spread into a satisfied smirk. Considering her attire, and the distance between Central City and Gotham City, Wally could only assume she'd headed over as soon as she was released from the Academy. Even with the hour time difference and the zeta tubes, there was a good chance she had skipped her last class to get here before Wally was dismissed for the day. That fact made Wally mildly curious about what was so important that she'd come all the way to Central City just to catch him after school. He had to give her credit, it was a smart move. It was no secret that he was pretty much avoiding both Artemis and Robin. He even made it a point to ignore them when forced to cross paths with them at Mount Justice. But, by already being present when he was released from school, she was guaranteed the chance to talk to him. After all, it wasn't like he could zip off at hyper speed in front of all the other students leaving the building.

Once it was clear he noticed her, she pushed off the tree with her shoulder, snatched her bag off the ground, and headed for him, eyes never wavering.

"We need to talk," she said as soon as she was within ear shot.

"Shouldn't you be hanging out with your new buddy instead of stalking me?" he asked, a slightly bitter undertone to his voice.

Artemis stopped in front of him and rolled her eyes, hands on her hips. "I wouldn't have to show up at your school if you weren't acting so childish."

"Well if-" Wally stopped abruptly, his eyes leaving Artemis to take in the lingering students.

Many of his peers were now openly staring at them, clearly curious as to who Artemis was and what she was doing at Keystone High talking to Wally West, a seldom talked about nerd. Hushed whispers began to reach his ears and his checks burned in response.

"Who's that girl?"

"I don't know. Anybody recognize the uniform?"

"Why is she here to see West? You don't think she's his girlfriend, do you?"

"Kind of hot to be dating West, don't you think?"

"I think they're fighting! Maybe she came here to break up with him."

"In front of everyone at his school? Harsh."

Artemis noticed the look of discomfort on her teammate's face. "You know, I could make this situation a whole lot worse," she remarked with a smirk, her eyes leaving him briefly to scan the gathering crowd.

"Fine," Wally conceded. He didn't want to give in, but he wasn't willing to take a chance that she was bluffing.

He grabbed Artemis's wrist and roughly tugged her towards the street anxious to get away from the prying eyes of his classmates. There was a small park down the street and when the pair reached it Wally let go of Artemis's wrist and turned to face her.

"You wanna talk? So talk. And make it quick, we have practice in a half hour and I don't want you makin' me late."

"You need to stop avoiding Robin. It's not fair," Artemis said, getting straight to the point.

"That's what this is about? You came all the way to Central City just to tell me I need to talk to Robin?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Wally questioned, genuinely curious.

"Because he's my friend. He's yours too. More than that, he's your best friend, not that you've been acting like it."

"Some best friend," Wally scoffed. "I don't know who he is when he's not Robin but you join our team a month ago and he tells you like it's no big deal."

"For your information, I don't know because he decided to tell me."

"Well if he didn't tell you, then how do you know?"

Artemis shook her head. "That's not my story to tell. If you want to know then you ask Robin about it. Trust me, he'd be happy to explain what really happened if you'd get off your high horse and talk to him."

With nothing left to say, Artemis began to walk away. It only took half a second for Wally to appear at her side.

"Fine, I'll talk to Robin after practice today, but not because you told me to."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Artemis quipped, a knowing smile on her face that the speedster couldn't see.

**x x x **

**Mount Justice**

**September 29, 16:57 EDT**

"Recognized, Kid Flash, B03; Recognized, Artemis, B07," the PC announced overhead as Wally and Artemis materialized inside the zeta tube that led to Central City.

Megan was finishing up her work on the central computer inside the zeta tube room and looked up from the monitor when the computer jointly announced their names. To her surprise, both Wally and Artemis walked out of the Central City zeta tube together. She wasn't privy to what had happened between Wally, Artemis, and Robin; she just knew that Wally wasn't currently talking to the other two. The fact that Artemis had been in Central City with him was a good sign in her eyes. She hated when the team didn't get along.

"Hey guys!" she cheerfully called to them. They both gave a wave in return. Megan fell into step with the pair as she said, "Cutting it kind of close, huh? The rest of us were wondering when you two were going to show."

Artemis's phone began to vibrate in the pocket of her skirt. She dug it out and answered it as Wally said, "Blame Artemis, she held me up after-"

"What!?" Artemis cried, coming to an immediate stop.

Her shout startled Wally and Megan and they turned to look at their teammate, their feet pausing as well. Wally wasn't sure what had been said on the other line, but whatever it was, it had clearly shaken Artemis up. Her normally tanned skin had whitened considerably and her sapphire eyes held a look of fear in them, something Wally couldn't recall ever seeing in the archer's eyes.

"I'll be right there!"

Without a word to her teammates she turned on her heel and sprinted for the Gotham City zeta tube.

"Artemis, what's wrong?" Megan called after her.

She flew into the tube so quickly her body almost didn't dematerialize in time to keep her from colliding with the back wall of the chamber.

Wally only spared a second to deliberate with himself before he rushed after her. The look on Artemis's face was enough to spur him into following her. Whatever the phone call had been about had spooked her bad. He couldn't just ignore it, pretend like he hadn't seen it and attend practice like nothing happened. He faintly heard Megan call his name before a flash of light engulfed him and he found himself alone inside a dirty, broken down phone booth located in a dingy back alley of Gotham City.

Although Artemis was already out of sight when he evacuated the decrepit phone booth, it didn't take him long to find out which way she'd gone thanks to his ability. Once he located her she was already a block and a half away from the phone booth alley, running at a speed that was rather impressive for a regular person. She darted through an intersection with heavy traffic, rolling over the hood of a car before it could hit her and sprinted on unfazed, as if it hadn't happened. The way she was running screamed of desperation, almost as if she was running for her life . . . or someone else's. Wally was at her side in a millisecond, keeping stride with her easily.

"What's going on?" he asked, startling her.

"What are you doing here!?"

"You had Megan worried after you bolted like that from Mount Justice so I followed you!" he said, not seeing the need to shed light on his own concern as well.

"Well you shouldn't have. This doesn't involve you!"

"Look, do you wanna run and argue, or do you wanna already be where you're going?" Artemis didn't respond. "Yeah that's what I thought," Wally said before he scooped her up without stopping and took off at a much faster pace.

Artemis shouted out directions as she clung to the speedster and in a matter of seconds Wally came to a stop outside a rundown looking apartment complex located in the slums of Gotham. As soon as he set Artemis on the sidewalk she rushed into the building taking the stairs two at a time. When she reached the floor of her apartment she could see the door was ajar. As she passed through the doorway she noticed that the doorjamb was splintered, showing forced entry. The place was in shambles, stuff strewn about as though it had been tossed around in a haphazard whirlwind. Furniture was overturned and books were torn up and scattered across the floor, their pages turned into confetti.

"Mom!" Artemis cried when her eyes landed on the figure lying on the floor, her empty wheelchair next to her.

She immediately rushed to help her mother up. With a groan Paula said, "I'm okay, she just knocked me out of my chair is all. My pride's wounded more than anything."

Artemis released a relieved sigh. After Paula called, telling her their apartment had been vandalized, Artemis panicked. She had a feeling who the culprit was and feared that her mother was in danger. Her reaction was to be expected. Before her father moved out, he had a heart-to-heart with his daughter, making sure it was clear who she'd be working for and that she wasn't the only one that would suffer if she refused. Threatening her mother was a low blow, even by Sportsmaster's standards. Everyday Artemis worried that that would be the day the Shadows realized which team she was really on, and when she got that phone call from her mother, she thought that today might be that day. She half expected to find her mother at the mercy of a Shadows assassin's blade, or worse, already dead, by the time she got to the apartment. Seeing that her mother wasn't really harmed meant the League of Shadows was still ignorant to the role she was really filling.

Wally walked into the messy apartment. "Whoa," he said as he scanned the place.

His eyes landed on Artemis as she attempted to get her mother back into her chair. He stared openly, caught off guard by the fact that Artemis's mother was a paraplegic. He shook his head, overcoming his shock, and hurried to assist his teammate.

"Thanks," Artemis said once her mom was back up and securely seated in her wheelchair.

"Don't worry about it," Wally replied. Then, "What happened here?"

"Just your typical robbery in the Gotham slums, what's it look like?" she responded as she began to walk through the wreckage.

Wally followed along, taking in all the damage. He would have believed her, if it wasn't for the pictures on the living room wall. All of them were of Artemis and her mother and almost all of them looked recent, with a clear time gap between those taken years ago and those taken recently. That wasn't what really fazed Wally though, it was the fact that the glass of every picture was completely cracked through. It created a splintering effect so that it looked like an intricate spider web laid over the smiling faces of Artemis and her mother.

_Why would some random thief bother cracking the glass of every picture? _he wondered.

Artemis took note of the pictures as well and knew it for what it was: a calling card from the Shadows and she was sure which Shadow in particular at that. Batman was right about their impatience with her. She walked into her own room, Wally at her heels, and he immediately noticed that there were two twin beds in the sparsely furnished room and only one half of the room was trashed. The other side was untouched from the pristine purple comforter draped over the bed, to the lone poster of Alice and the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland hanging on the wall. After Artemis did a quick scan of her room she walked back to the living room, Wally right behind her.

"Um, I'm gonna go call Black Canary so she knows why we aren't at practice," he announced, and excused himself to the hallway outside.

Once Artemis was confident he was out of ear shot she turned her attention back to her mother. "What really happened, Mom?"

"It was your sister. When I wouldn't open the door to let her in, she just kicked it in. I should have known changing the locks when I kicked your father out wasn't going to keep them out. We got in an argument about her life choices and she ended up knocking me to the floor over it. She thinks I'm nothing but a pathetic, weak cripple . . ." Paula trailed off, ashamed.

"Mom, don't let her mess with your head like that. You're stronger than either of them for having the courage to leave that life in the first place," Artemis insisted.

Paula smiled warmly at her daughter. The one with the real strength was Artemis, not her. She had been raised by a family of Shadows assassins and yet had managed to forge her own path on the opposite side: the side of justice. She was truly a rose among thorns. Paula couldn't have been prouder.

Out in the hallway, Wally flipped his cell phone shut, glad that Black Canary had excused their absence. He moved to reenter the apartment, but stopped when he heard Paula speak.

"I'm not sure how we're going to get by for the next few weeks. Almost everything is ruined."

"Maybe I could pick up a few more shifts at the Y for a while, just until we have enough money to replace some of our stuff."

"Artemis, no. You're already burning the candle at both ends. Between school, the hours you work now, the time you spend training and assisting your new team, and the work you're doing for Batman taking on more is out of the question. We'll find another way."

Behind the door, Wally blinked, confused. _Work she's doing for Batman? What work?_

When it was clear the conversation was over, Wally pushed the door back open and rejoined Artemis and her mother.

"Black Canary said not to worry about practice today," he informed his teammate.

"Oh, you're one of the members of that team Artemis joined up with," Paula said, realization dawning on her.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Mom, this is Wally. Wally, this is my mom, Paula Crock," Artemis said.

Paula wheeled over to Wally and shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Wally. You're the first friend of Artemis's that I've had the chance to meet. She never brings anyone over."

At Paula's words, Wally glanced at the archer with raised eyebrows. He was surprised to hear that. He thought for sure that at least Robin would have been to her house by now considering how much time they'd been spending together.

At the speedster's questioning glance, Artemis turned away, arms crossed over her chest. "I didn't actually bring him over; he followed me after I got your phone call."

Paula smiled knowingly. If that was the case, she had a feeling she knew which member of the team this boy was. After all, not many people could keep up with her daughter, but Kid Flash would be able to. She decided to keep that thought to herself and instead said, "Well, I think you're lucky to have such a good friend, Artemis."

The pair of teens shared an intense gaze at Paula's words. 'Friends' wasn't the word either of them would have picked, but could one really call their relationship anything less than friendship at this point? Both wondered exactly when things had changed, but neither really knew. Artemis broke eye contact first. Wordlessly she kneeled on the floor and began the laborious process of cleaning up her sister's mess. Suddenly a torn book was held out for her. She looked up to see Wally squat down next to her.

She took the book from his extended hand and said, "You don't have to help."

"I know," was all he had to say in return, a soft smile on his face, before he turned away from her and began to right a bookshelf that had been overturned.

Artemis smiled gratefully at his backside, and together they worked to pick up the apartment in a comfortable silence.

Maybe 'friends' was the right word after all.

_**To be continued . . . **_

**A/N: **An **ao dai** is a traditional Vietnamese garment. There are many types but they generally have a similar design. I tried my best to describe what it looks like but it was rather difficult so if you'd like to know exactly what an aoi dai looks like, there are plenty of pictures on the internet from places that sell them. They are so pretty!

Anyway, I didn't think the last chapter would garner so much praise. I was worried many wouldn't like it as much as the others, but apparently I worried for nothing b/c several people actually said it was among their fav chapters :) Good to know, so thanks everybody who bothered to speak up! You guys have been such great readers.

_**SakuraJade**_


	7. An Eye for an Eye

**A/N:** Thanks so much to all those who have reviewed! I can't believe this story is one review away from 100! How awesome is that? :) I do try to respond to signed reviews personally; unfortunately unsigned ones can't be replied to so just know that I do appreciate them! Anyway, I've had this chapter planned for months so I'm excited to be releasing it :)

_**Note:** _Since it was stated that Robin is a freshman in ep 12 "Homefront" I've updated this story to reflect that fact. And I assumed from the get go that everyone knew Artemis was from Gotham b/c I thought they had a room full of zeta tubes and thus would have seen her coming and going from the Gotham one (plus I believe the zeta tubes track the user as well). But I guess not. Oh well. Also please keep in mind that this story follows the show/comics (for the most part) up until ep 10 "Targets" then diverges into AU from there, meaning all the new eps that have been airing have not taken place.

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice, DC Comics and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

**Rated T** for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

_Italics _mean thoughts

_"Italics within quotes"_ mean telepathy (or in the case of this chapter, flashbacks)

_The Truth is heavy; therefore few care to carry it . . ._

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 7: An Eye for an Eye_

**Mount Justice**

**October 1, 15:30 EDT**

"Try again," Artemis ordered.

Megan sprinted across the padded floor of the training room, raised her arms above her head, and attempted to do a front hand spring. She managed to get all the way around but landed on her rear end with a heavy thud.

"Ouch!" she cried, rubbing her increasingly sore bum.

Artemis pinched the bridge of her nose. When Megan had asked for her help, she had no idea how difficult this was going to be . . .

**_Four Days ago . . ._**

**_Mount Justice_**

**_September 27 18:10 EDT_**

"_Artemis, wait up!"_

_The blonde turned to see Megan floating towards her._

"_What's up?" she asked once the Martian girl reached her._

"_Um, do you have a second? I have a favor to ask you."_

"_What is it?"_

_Megan placed a hand behind her head, a nervous gesture Artemis picked up on._

"_Well . . ."_

_At Artemis's less than patient look, Megan plowed on. "Okay it's like this. Earlier this month I made it on the Bumblebees, the Happy Harbor High cheerleading squad."_

"_Okaaaaay . . ." Artemis trailed off not sure what Megan was getting at._

"_I'm really good at the actual cheering part. The other girls on the squad told me I have great school spirit."_

"_But?" Artemis prompted. She knew there was a 'but,' there was always a 'but.'_

"_But . . . the gymnastics part? Not so much . . . And it's a requirement if I want to stay part of the Bumblebees. Apparently they're really good, like national competition good. The girls on the squad are really trying to teach me, but I don't think it's going to be enough."_

"_What does this have to do with me?" Artemis asked out right. She had a bad feeling she knew where this was going . . . _

"_I've seen you in the training room during our practice sessions. You flip around the room like it's nothing! So I was wondering if you could help teach me."_

"_I'm no cheerleader, in case you hadn't noticed."_

"_Oh, trust me," Megan giggled, "I know, but I have no one else to ask. The only other person I've seen move like you is Robin, but I don't think he'll be too excited to help me practice cheerleading. Even less excited than you." At the look on Artemis's face Megan added, "Maybe." _

"_I don't know, Megan-"_

"_Please, Artemis. This is really important to me. I don't wanna get kicked off the squad."_

_Artemis was silent for a moment as she considered the pleading look on Megan's face. Finally she said, "All right, I'll do it. We start Saturday; right after our team training session is over."_

_Megan rocketed into the air, squealing for joy._

**x x x**

"You and Robin make this look so easy," Megan complained as she pushed herself up off the floor, pulling Artemis from her reverie.

"It is easy, now. But we both started really young and we worked hard to get as good as we did."

A shy, almost hopeful look over came Megan's face. "Are you sure I can't peek inside your mind? Just to see the thought process your brain goes through when executing a move?"

Artemis glared.

"I'll take it the answer's still no . . ."

It was nothing personal. Artemis had good reason for refusing Megan's request. Earth sister or not, she couldn't let Megan into her head, she couldn't risk what the Martian might inadvertently see. It was bad enough she'd already had to let her in during the mission in Bialya. Luckily, Megan hadn't discovered anything she shouldn't know. The whole ordeal was too close for comfort though.

When Artemis didn't respond verbally Megan continued. "If I was allowed to fly I wouldn't have to learn any of this to begin with."

"Actually," Artemis suddenly spoke, "because you can fly learning how to flip and twist should be relatively easy."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, what makes gymnastics so difficult for humans is gravity. When trying to execute a hand spring or a misty flip, you only have so much time to get all the way around and back on your feet before gravity forces you to the ground. But, for all intents and purposes, you can defy gravity."

"How does that help me when I'm not allowed to fly, or at least I'm not allowed to let people know I can fly."

"Simple. Take a front hand spring for example. When you push your hands off the floor to bring it full circle, just defy gravity a little, like when you fly. Don't make it obvious or anything, just enough so that you have enough time to get your feet back under you. Instead of trying to really learn how to do it like I do it, just practice levitating without making it obvious you're doing so."

"That's not a bad idea. Okay, I'll try doing that," Megan said with a smile, her determination flaring up again.

Artemis glanced at the clock on the wall before saying, "It's gonna have to wait. We're expected to report to the briefing room in five minutes."

Together the girls headed out of the training room. Unlike the rest of the team, Artemis already knew what Batman was going to talk about. After all, she'd been the one to supply him with the information that would be discussed in the first place. Her last trip to Infinity Island had proved useful for the Justice League. The Shadows didn't trust her enough with explicit details, but she had been able to find out that, thanks to the sidekicks' – as the Shadows continued to refer to the young covert team – destruction of Dr. Roquette's FOG, they'd have to continue collecting the data and technology they needed the old fashioned way: by sending operatives to select state-of-the-art facilities and laboratories to steal it. What kind of technology and what they planned to do with it once they had it still eluded Artemis, but the information she was able to pass along to Batman was helpful regardless. Megan and Artemis arrived in the briefing room to see their teammates and Batman already there. As soon as they were situated Batman spoke.

"Six days ago the research files of a government laboratory in Washington D.C. were hacked into and downloaded from the mainframe on site. Two days later, a similar incident took place in the physics department at Caltech in California. Those were just two of several break-ins involving the confiscation of scientific data over the last week." Batman turned his back on the team as he began to type something on the large overhead computer. "It is the Justice League's belief that the Shadows are behind this."

"Trying to finish what they started last month with Dr. Rouqette's FOG no doubt," Robin said, hitting the nail on the head.

"Precisely. Using the Watch Tower's computer to search for a pattern based on the places that have already been hit, the League was able to predict where the Shadows are most likely to strike next."

A map of the United States suddenly appeared on the giant screen. A few more key strokes from Batman and it zoomed in on the Midwest. "We believe the next location the Shadows will Target is Sakamoto Research and Technology, a Japanese research facility based in Chicago, Illinois."

A picture appeared of a plain two story building.

"Do you have any thoughts on when they might try to acquire information from this place?" Kaldur asked.

"Tonight. Based on the previous pattern, they will not show up until sometime after twenty-four hundred hours. I want your team to deploy at twenty-one hundred hours for Chicago. You will stake out the research facility. In the event that the Shadows show up, you are to notify the Justice League immediately, then intercept them."

"Really?" Wally questioned, his voice heavy with surprise. "You're actually giving us the green light to attack?"

"It is imperative that they do not acquire whatever information they are seeking to steal. If they make an appearance you are to engage them in combat, but only after you have alerted the Justice League. Is that understood?"

"So basically you just want us to stall them until you can get there," Conner stated, an edge to his voice.

If the Justice League wanted a call before they confronted the Shadows then that meant they still weren't giving the team enough credit and it ticked him off, especially if it meant having to see Superman. Batman didn't deny Conner's accusation.

"Yes, we understand," Kaldur confirmed, his eyes on Conner, silently ordering him not to talk back to their superior again.

"Then you are dismissed. Meet in the hanger at twenty-one hundred hours for deployment."

**x x x**

**Chicago**

**October 1, 23:00 CDT**

The cloaked bio-ship touched down outside Sakamoto Research and Technology, the Chicago skyline lighting up the night sky off in the distance. As the team exited the aircraft, Kid Flash looked around the dimly lit parking lot.

"So, what's the plan?" he asked.

"We will-"

Superboy held up a hand, abruptly silencing Aqualad. The others watched quietly as his ears twitched, picking up something none of them could hear.

"Someone's already here," he announced and took off for the front doors, the others following behind, Robin already sending a signal to the Justice League.

Wasting no time, he ripped the glass door from its frame – not at all concerned for the ruined property – and set it aside. The group rushed into the lobby and stopped when they saw a lone figure standing in the middle of the dark room, his back to them. Artemis immediately noticed the temperature difference in the room. It was much colder than it should have been.

"Who are you?" she demanded as she notched an arrow and held it at the ready.

The person turned around, a fiendish smile on his young face. His skin was a sickly shade of blue, with jagged spots protruding from his body. He wasn't much older than her. She recognized him almost immediately and she blinked in surprise at his presence. He should have made it to Belle Reve by now.

"The distraction," was his simple reply.

Before anyone could register what that meant, the young man put his hands out in front of himself and ice erupted around the room at random, forcing the team apart.

"It's Icicle Jr.!" Robin shouted to the others as he dodged an enormous iceberg that sprang up from beneath him.

"Bingo!" Icicle Jr. laughed.

"What the heck's he doing here?!" Kid Flash said as he ran behind the reception desk. "I thought he was arrested after Green Arrow and Spe- I mean, Red Arrow stopped him in Star City?"

Junior cackled. "What can I say? I have friends in high places."

"Be careful," Robin advised as he back flipped away from another chunk of ice as it sailed past his head. "This one's a few cents short of a dollar."

Superboy smashed a large wall of ice standing in his way. "So you're saying he's nuts?"

"That's what they say," Junior answered as he used his Cryokinesis to freeze more of the air in the room, making it difficult for the team to get close.

_If he's the distraction, _Artemis thought as she fired an exploding arrow, only to watch it drop to the floor with a heavy thud, encased in ice, _then who else is here? And more importantly, where are they? _

She glanced around the room quickly, her eyes stopping on a staircase in the corner. She shrank her compound bow down and ran for the stairs.

"Ah ah ah!" Icicle Jr. said as he caught sight of her.

A second later she fell forward on her hands and knees, her left foot suddenly numb. She glanced over her shoulder to see her foot partially incased in a chunk of ice, grounding her to the floor.

"And where do you think you're going?"

She swung her head around, only to come face-to-face with the enemy. One knee was on the ground, the other bent up so that he was eye level with her. She idly wondered what he would think if he knew she was the same family friend who'd been pumping him for information just a little over a month ago in the Star City jail. _**(1) **_Before she could pull back, Icicle Jr. had his frozen fingers under her chin, tilting her face to the side. For a second she worried he actually recognized her through her mask.

He eyed her appreciatively and said, "You're pretty hot. I got a thing for blondes, you know."

"And I'm supposed to care?" Artemis spit, irritated he was hitting on her, but relieved he didn't recognize her.

"And you've got some fire to you. I like a girl with spunk," he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Get away from her!" Kid Flash shouted as he headed for them at a normal pace, the ice-covered floor making it impossible for him to use his super speed.

"Or what?" Junior asked tauntingly as he blasted another round of ice at the redhead with his free hand, forcing the speedster to leap behind one of the decorative support pillars.

With Junior temporarily distracted, Artemis swung an open palm at his face, but he instantly released her chin and caught it. She gasped as a thin layer of ice began to spread down her forearm.

"Shouldn't have done that," he growled.

Two birdarangs aimed at his face forced Junior to drop Artemis's wrist and step back. Without missing a beat, she reached behind to her quiver, pulled out one of the few steal-tipped arrows she carried, and slammed it into the ice surrounding her foot. It cracked in half, releasing her, and she rolled away from Junior.

"He's protecting the staircase!" Artemis explained to the others as she fired off an exploding arrow, forcing Junior to dodge again.

"I'm on it!" Miss Martian replied. She flew for the staircase, but a pillar of ice erupted beneath her, trapping her immediately.

"Sorry, sweetheart. I was willing to go easy on the blonde, but redheads just don't do it for me," Icicle Jr. cackled.

"M'gann!" Superboy cried.

He rushed for her, blasting through all the ice in his way as if it were as fragile as rice paper. As he drew near the pillar entombing Megan, he pulled back his fist, intent on smashing it.

"Superboy, don't! It's too much ice, you'll shatter her!" Robin exclaimed from nearby.

Superboy pulled his punch at the last second, crying out in frustration as he slammed his fist into the floor at the base of the iceberg instead. Aqualad ran to assist Superboy with Miss Martian, leaving Kid Flash, Robin, and Artemis to deal with the ice villain. With Junior's unpredictable attacks, no one noticed the figure descending the staircase. Cheshire looked around at the scene before her, a vindictive smile splitting her face behind her Noh mask. She couldn't stay to play with the sidekicks, but she could spare a few minutes to pick one of them off. The question was: which one? She ruled her sister out immediately. Technically they were on the same side and she'd just come back to life anyway. The Martian was already out of commission thanks to Icicle Jr. so she was out as well. The Superboy was practically indestructible, and she wasn't willing to take a chance with the Atlantean seeing how well he stood up to her choice poisons the last time she'd engaged him in combat. That left the Boy Wonder, and the speedster. When Robin and Artemis began to tag team Icicle Jr., Kid Flash turned his attention to Superboy and Aqualad's progress with Megan. Cheshire decided to take advantage of the opportunity. She pulled a kunai from her belt and sent it sailing with a flick of her wrist. Icicle Jr. managed to grab Robin and pinned him against the wall. Over the ice teen's shoulder, Robin caught sight of the sharp projectile sailing for Kid Flash a moment too late.

"KF, behind you!" Robin tried to warn.

Kid Flash turned just in time to see Artemis slide in front of him smoothly, her knee pads scrapping along the ice coated floor, her bow strung with a steel-tipped arrow ready to be released. The kunai sliced through her skin and embedded itself in the flesh of her right shoulder. Immediately she released the arrow without even flinching. It buried itself deep in Cheshire's right shoulder, mirroring the wound Artemis had received. Ignoring the kunai, and the blood that began to trickle down her arm from the wound it had created, Artemis instantly restrung her bow with another steel-tipped arrow and kept it trained on her sister. Wally gaped at her openly, too shocked to say anything.

"You bitch!" Cheshire snarled as she yanked the arrow from her torn flesh.

"An eye for an eye. That's the code you live by, right?" Artemis responded coolly, her aim never wavering. Her opponent took another step. "Stay where you are!"

Cheshire continued her decent down the stairs, her form ridged with anger.

"Don't make me kill you, "Artemis threatened, tightening the string of her bow for emphasis.

Cheshire froze. She honestly didn't know if Artemis would do it or not. The girl was supposed to be on their side, but it was a forced allegiance and she'd openly admitted to the Shadows that she'd do whatever it took to protect innocent people from them. If her sister thought she really was a threat to the young heroes she might very well do it.

It wasn't a risk Cheshire was willing to take.

She slowly started walking backwards up the stairs. "Enjoy your death, it'll be a particularly painful one," she sneered. Then she glanced at Junior and said, "Let's go, we have what we came for."

"Man, why'd you have to hit the hot one?" Junior whined as he flung Robin to the ground and hurried up the stairs to his accomplice.

The sound of ice shattering violently was the perfect distraction. With everyone's attention on the recently freed Megan, Cheshire threw a smoke bomb at her feet. In a matter of seconds, she and Icicle Jr. were gone. Artemis lowered her bow. With a hard yank, she pulled the kunai from her shoulder and threw it to the floor spitefully. She heard Miss Martian assuring Superboy that she was fine – thanks to the cold temperatures on Mars – before her world began to spin, Cheshire's fast acting poison already beginning to take effect. Her bow and arrow dropped to the floor with a clatter as her arms went slack and her body pitched backwards.

"Artemis!" Wally cried as he put his arms out just in time to keep her from colliding with the frozen ground. He knelt on the floor, placing her across his knees. "Something's wrong with Artemis!" he shouted to the others.

As Aqualad and Robin made their way towards them, the blonde began to shiver violently in Wally's arms. She started mumbling and pushing against him trying to be free of his grasp.

"What are you doing? Stop! I'm trying to help you!" he insisted but she couldn't hear him.

In her mind she was nine years old again and living at a Monastery in Vietnam where her mother sent her and her sister in an attempt to keep them from a life on the wrong side of the law. After Paula went to jail their father came for them, intent on putting them back on that path. Jade hadn't put up much of a fight, but Artemis had and her uncle paid dearly for it . . .

**_Six years ago . . ._**

_Artemis ran into the inner chamber of worship and locked the doors behind her, panting heavily as she leaned against them. Her father had come for her, and she had no intention of leaving with him. She couldn't believe her sister hadn't resisted. She thought Jade hated their father. Then again, she'd always seemed enamored with their parents' lifestyle, much to their mother's dismay. With their mother in jail, their father was sure to resume training both of them to follow in his footsteps, footsteps Artemis had no desire to fill. _

"_Open the door, Artemis."_

_Her blood froze in her veins at the sound of her father's voice directly behind the door. She took several steps back automatically. His fist colliding with the solid oak door made her jump slightly._

"_I said open the door!"_

"No!" she shouted in defiance. "I won't go with you!"

Wally glanced at Robin and Kaldur as they circled around the archer. "What's wrong with her?"

"It is probably a reaction to the poisons that Cheshire uses on her weapons," Kaldur informed, all too familiar with that particular villain's style.

"You're saying it's making her hallucinate?"

"That or it could be making her relive painful memories," Robin supplied.

"_You don't have a choice!"he growled and a moment later the doors exploded off their hinges. _

_Her father walked in menacingly, his face hidden by a gray hockey mask. _

_Artemis tried not to show her fear as she stood her ground. She opened her mouth to speak, but her words died in her throat as she saw two masked men clad in black ninja garb drag her uncle into the room. A third man walked in behind them. Sportsmaster gave a nod of his head and the third man began to beat the monk._

"Don't hurt him, please!" Artemis cried out as she struggled against Wally's hold. "I'll do whatever you want, I swear!"

"Artemis, stop! It's me, Wally!" he shouted in vain. He looked at the others helplessly. "We have to do something!"

"We need to inject antivenin into her system to try and counteract the poison," Aqualad explained calmly as he pulled a syringe from his belt. He'd taken to carrying antivenin after his first encounter with Cheshire's poison, not wanting to be caught off guard again.

Megan walked over with Conner in tow, his arm around her shoulder protectively. "What's going on?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

_With a defeated look, Artemis walked over to her father's side. He roughly grabbed her arm and began to pull her from the room. He looked over his shoulder at his henchmen._

"_Kill him."_

"_No! I'm doing what you want!" Artemis cried, tears beginning to form in her eyes._

"_Let this be a lesson to you. Nobody defies me and gets away with it. Make sure you never forget that."_

_He dragged her down the hall, the grunts of her uncle as they beat him to death fading as they went._

"Remove her shirt."

Aqualad's comment caught Wally so off guard he almost lost his grip on Artemis. "What?" he questioned dumbly.

"The antivenin needs to be injected directly into her heart and the material used to construct her uniform is too tough for the needle to penetrate. Take her shirt off. Now."

"Easier said than done," Wally said as he tried to restrain Artemis as she flailed about.

Robin took hold of her from the front and tried to hold her steady as Megan said, "I can try and enter her mind to calm her down." She put her fingers to her temples and began reaching out to her friend.

Wally threw Artemis's long ponytail over her shoulder and grabbed the zipper on the back of her shirt, pulling it down quickly. Despite the circumstances for his undressing of Artemis, he couldn't keep a rosy flush from covering his cheeks. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought about what the blonde looked like in the buff on a few occasions.

The memory in Artemis's mind faded only to be replaced by another terrible one.

**_1 year ago . . ._**

_Sportsmaster had insisted Artemis accompany him on one of his assassinations, much to her dismay. In the 5 years since her training had resumed, she'd never developed the affinity for taking another life that he expected her to have. The idea didn't excite her like it did Jade and her father. She turned her head away as her father impaled one of the two men they'd tracked down on his trusty javelin, the other man screaming in horror at the sight. _

"_You're turn."_

_Artemis whipped back around to stare at her father incredulously. "What?"_

"_You heard me, kill him."_

Megan's closed eyes scrunched at the corners. "Her mind is in turmoil, I can't make a good connection with her. I'm only getting snapshots of what's going on."

Artemis's breaths were rapidly growing shallower and her heart rate increased to an unsafe level threatening to put her into cardiac arrest. Her skin had paled several shades and was much colder than it should be. Wally began to ease the green top off of her shoulders and immediately noticed something at the base of her neck. He tilted his head in surprise as he took a moment to look at it. It was a tattoo of an extremely intricate butterfly, the black ink rather faded.

"_He's your assignment, you kill him."_

"_Get over here and do it now!"_

"_I'm not going to kill him!" _

"_Are you defying a direct order?" her father growled. "I didn't spend years training you for nothing. Now take him out!"_

"I don't care what you say, I won't do it! You'll have to kill me!"

Artemis's shout brought Wally back to the task at hand. He finished pulling her top off and gasped at what he saw.

"Oh my God . . ." he whispered, eyes wide, as he looked at her exposed back. Scars that were clearly created by sharp objects littered her skin between the black straps of her bra. Three of the scars looked particularly fresh. "She looks like she's been through hell."

"It's not any better up here," Robin said, his eyes taking in the scars on her front.

_Sportsmaster grabbed Artemis roughly and yanked her towards the man cowering in the corner. Artemis resisted, tugging back._

"_Let me go! I'm not going to do it!"_

_He slammed his daughter into the nearby wall, his hand around her throat._

"_I don't care what you do to me; I will NEVER kill someone for you!"_

"_If you won't follow orders than you are of no use to me!" her father yelled as he took his javelin and stabbed his own flesh and blood. _

_The punctured lung caused Artemis to gurgle out a few breaths before she stopped breathing entirely and everything went black._

Megan screamed at the image that flashed in her head before she lost the small connection she'd managed to establish. She dropped to her knees with a sob, Conner at her side instantly. At the same time, Artemis went slack in Wally's arms, her harried breaths the only indication that the poison hadn't claimed her yet.

"How could he do that?!" Megan cried hysterically.

Kaldur knelt in front of his dying teammate and plunged the syringe into her chest releasing the liquid held within. The team waited with abated breath as they watched for any signs of improvement.

"Come on, Artemis," Wally whispered, watching her intently. "Don't leave us."

Within a minute her erratic breathing slowed and her pulse returned to a normal level, an indication that the antivenin was working.

"Thank God . . ." Wally sighed.

"We need to get Artemis back to the infirmary at the base. Robin, radio the Justice League and inform them that their assistance is no longer needed," Kaldur ordered before heading for the exit.

Wally lifted Artemis off the ground and hurried after Kaldur and Robin. "You gotta stop scaring me like that," he said quietly to the unconscious blonde as he clutched her a little tighter than necessary.

Conner helped Megan off the floor, concern etched on his face.

"Don't worry, I'm okay," she assured him with a smile before he could ask.

He decided not to push her for details. When he turned away to follow the others the fake smile instantly fell from Megan's lips, turning into a frown. She couldn't believe what she'd seen in Artemis's mind. It was too vivid, too clear to be a dream (or a nightmare really). It was definitely a memory. A horrific memory, but an impossible one as well because if Artemis had died that night by the hands of Sportsmaster – for Megan would recognize that uniform anywhere after encountering him in Santa Presca – how was she alive right now? And why had she been with the villain in the first place? Clearly the truth about Artemis's life was heavy and painful, and Megan didn't know if she could handle it; if she could carry it.

Or if she really wanted to.

_**To be continued . . .** _

_**(1) **_In issue 13 of the tie-in comic, Artemis is placed under arrest as a ruse to have her encounter Icicle Jr., who is being detained in a Star City prison for his involvement in the July 4th ice attack, in the hope that she can get some intel out of him based on the fact that they know each other through their fathers.

**A/N:** So, what'd you all think of this installment? The Vietnamese view the butterfly as a symbol of resurrection, so I figured it'd be fitting to make her resurrection mark a butterfly (more explanations on that still to come). I couldn't resist using Icicle Jr. seeing how he's married to Artemis Crock in the original DC comics. Plus he's kind of a fun villain. I planned to use him before I saw ep 11 "Terrors," but I did take the idea of Megan being frozen from that ep b/c it fit into what was happening well, plus I figured a lot of SuperMartian fans would appreciate it :)

Anyway, I hope it wasn't too confusing with the flashing back and forth between what was happening in the present with the team and what was happening in Artemis's mind. To make sure everyone understands, the team only heard the quotes not in italics. Those Artemis shouted out loud without realization. All italics took place in her head. Please let me know how I did! I love hearing your thoughts and speculations, plus I'd love to break the 100 review mark! Help me out guys :)

**_SakuraJade_**


	8. Hindsight is 2020

**A/N:** Thanks so much for all your kind and motivating reviews! I'm so excited this story has reached **over 100 reviews**! So thank you so much everyone! Of all my fics, this one has the second highest number of reviews.

_**Note: **_From the ep "Secrets," we know that Robin knows Artemis's background (not sure if Batman told him or he did detective work). Be that as it may, I assumed no one knew so in this story Robin **does not** know who Artemis's parents are, so keep that in mind. Thanks.

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice, DC Comics, Warner Brothers, and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

**Rated T** for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

_Italics _mean thoughts

"_Italics within quotes"_ mean telepathy

_The cruelest Lies are often told in silence . . . _

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 8: Hindsight is 20/20_

**Mount Justice**

**October 2, 11:17 EDT**

Artemis groaned, her hand moving to clutch her head as she came to. She opened her eyes only to instantly shut them, the blinding white of the florescent lights above coupled with the sterile white ceiling causing her head to pound.

"You're awake."

She didn't need to open her eyes to know the voice belonged to Wally.

"What happened?" she asked, voice raspy. "I feel like I was hit by a semi-truck."

"Cheshire's poison, that's what. I owe you one," Wally admitted, voice equally irritated and grateful.

Artemis forced her eyes to open again and turned to look at Wally. He was sitting next to the bed she was laying in. They were in the sickbay at Mount Justice.

"Let's just call it even," she suggested, thinking of the funhouse fire from the Happy Harbor Fall Festival.

"You've been out cold since last night. You had me-us, the team I mean, really worried," Wally said, hoping she didn't catch his mistake. To his relief she didn't.

"My head feels like it's being cracked open like an egg," Artemis complained as she sat up, her back leaning against the headboard, loose blonde hair draped over her shoulders in a tangible sea of gold.

"Just be happy you're alive to feel anything at all. If Kaldur hadn't been carrying that antivenin on him you'd be dead right now."

He was wrong of course, but she wasn't about to tell him that.

When she didn't respond, the speedster continued. "Although it wouldn't be the first close call you've had."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your scars."

Artemis clutched the blanket covering her lap ever so slightly at his words. It didn't go unnoticed by Wally.

"How do you know about my scars?" she asked defensively.

"Because I saw them – we all saw them – when I took your shirt off." At Artemis's murderous look, Wally tried to explain, his cheeks growing rosy. "The antivenin had to be injected directly into your heart, but the material your uniform is made of was too strong for the needle to penetrate. So we had to remove your top."

Her fists tightened around the blanket even more, but she said nothing.

"Some of the scars weren't even that old," Wally raised his eyes from Artemis's fisted hands to her face, "What happened to you?"

She remained silent, eyes refusing to meet his.

"Well?" he pressed.

"Don't worry about it," was her reply, her voice taking on that hollow quality he'd come to hate.

Wally scoffed. "You're kidding, right? How can you ask me _not_ to worry about it?"

"Because you have to!" she cried, head whipping around to confront him.

Wally's eyes widened, momentarily stunned by her outburst. She settled back down on the bed, pointedly facing away from the redhead. She simply didn't have the gusto to get worked up right now. She could already feel her strength ebbing away from her.

Wally was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "Okay, fine. Then tell me why you took that shot for me."

She didn't turn to face him as she spoke. "Because you didn't see it, but I did."

"But it was more logical to let it hit me. Increased healing ability, remember?"

"But you can still die," Artemis whispered, her voice heavy.

"What, like you can't?" Wally asked rhetorically. He waited a moment for her response, but one didn't come. "Artemis?"

He rose from the chair and took a better look at her. The even rise and fall of her chest was a clear indication that she'd fallen asleep. Wally ran a hand through his unruly red hair and let out a tired sigh. He'd been sitting in that room for a couple of hours in the hopes of seeing her awaken so as to put his mind at ease. He grasped the blanket and pulled it up around Artemis's slender shoulders. Before he could stop himself, he reached a hand out to tuck a strand of her silky blonde hair behind her ear, letting the length of it slide effortlessly through his fingers. There was just something about her hair when it was down . . . He suddenly pulled his hand back as though he'd been scalded. He gave his head a violent shake, hoping to rattle his brain a little. What did he think he was doing? In a rush he backed away from Artemis's slumbering form and let himself out of the infirmary. When he opened the door, Robin was standing on the other side, hand poised to grab the doorknob.

"KF."

"Robin."

Despite Wally's resolve to talk to Robin and clear the air after their argument concerning his identity, that had yet to happen. The day Artemis had talked him into it he'd chased her to Gotham after she'd gotten a phone call and freaked out. Since then an opportune moment hadn't presented itself.

"I was just coming to check on Artemis. How's she doing?" Robin asked.

"Okay I guess. She woke up for a few minutes, but she's sleeping now."

"Oh, well, I guess I'll come back later then."

Robin moved to leave but Wally's voice stopped him.

"Robin, wait."

The younger boy turned to look at his teammate.

"Can we, uh, talk?"

"Yeah, sure man."

Wally led the way down the hall, Robin in tow. A minute later they were standing in the trophy room, a place only Wally ever seemed interested enough to visit.

"So, what's up?" Robin asked once it was clear they were alone.

Wally sighed. "I'm sorry, you know, about how I reacted when I found out Artemis knew your identity. It's your identity so you have the right to withhold it if you-"

"No, you were right to get angry."

Wally blinked, surprised by Robin's words. "What?"

"We've been friends for a long time. You trust me with your identity," Robin said with resolve as he reached up and placed a hand on his ever present sunglasses, "there's no reason I shouldn't trust you with mine." Without hesitation he pulled them from his face, revealing his bright blue eyes to Wally. "My real name is Richard Grayson, but everyone at school just calls me Dick."

Wally silently stared at Robin for a minute, taking in his best friend's face, unmarred by a mask or a pair of sunglasses for the first time.

"So, whadaya think?" Robin asked with a smirk as he placed his sunglasses over his eyes once more.

"I've seen better," Wally teased.

"Ha ha."

Together they shared a laugh. Finally, Wally said, "Thanks man, for trusting me."

"Actually, Artemis is the one you should be thanking." At Wally's confused look he added, "She's the one who convinced me to share my identity with you."

Wally couldn't keep his eyebrows from shooting up. "Really? She showed up at my school and told me to give you a chance to explain."

"Guess we both owe her some thanks then."

"Guess so . . ." Wally's face grew serious. "You know, she told me she didn't find out because you wanted her to."

"She was telling you the truth."

"So what happened then?"

Robin trained his blue eyes on Wally's green. "You were right. I should have listened to you."

"How so?"

"Artemis knows about my identity because she caught me spying on her at the Academy. You were right to be suspicious of how little we know about her. There's more to her than we've been led to believe. The skills she exhibited in catching me . . . they were things she never would have picked up working with Green Arrow, and in such a short amount of time for that matter. She's good, Wally, really good."

Wally crossed his arms over his chest; his eyes drifting to Artemis's arrow on the shelf, the one that became a souvenir after it saved his life from Amazo.

"She's had some serious training," Dick pressed on. "And I don't think it was to join our team one day. Plus, there's the scars."

"I tried asking her about how she got all those when she woke up but she refused to talk about it."

Robin placed a thoughtful hand to his chin. "Even more puzzling is the placement of some of the scars."

"What do you mean?"

"When her shirt was off I took a good look at her chest." The minute the words were out of his mouth, Dick knew how bad it sounded. Wally's incredulous look only reinforced that thought. "At the scars! I took a good look at the scars on her chest! Not her actual-" his cheeks hot, he hurried on. "Not only was the amount startling, but some of them were positioned so that the wounds that created them should have been fatal."

Wally wasn't sure what to think about that. "What does that mean?"

"I have no idea. It doesn't make any sense. If I had to guess though, I'd say Artemis is involved in something big, something dangerous, and she's in deep. And if the scars are any indication of the kind of life she's living outside of this team, then she might not make it out alive."

"I think you're right," Wally suddenly said. "When I followed her to her place in Gotham, it was trashed. She said it was nothing more than your garden variety break-in but she was lying."

"How do you know?"

"Because the glass of every picture of her and her mother was cracked. What random street thug looking for valuables takes the time to do something like that?"

Robin nodded. "It was a message."

"That's not all either. When I stepped out into the hallway to let Black Canary know why we were missing practice, I overheard Artemis and her mother talking. Her mother mentioned that Artemis is working for Batman."

"Well, technically we're all working for Batman since he's the one who assigns our missions."

Wally shook his head. "No, she specifically mentioned the amount of time Artemis is putting into our team _and_ the work she's doing for Batman, as though they're two separate things."

Robin's eyebrows shot up over the rim of his sunglasses, giving way to how truly shocked he was by this piece of information. Wally was somewhat surprised. He half suspected that his friend already knew.

"You didn't know about this?"

"No, I didn't," the younger boy admitted, his voice holding a hint of bitterness. He knew Batman did things that had to be done, and that included keeping things from his partner. Robin understood, but it didn't hurt any less, however.

"Well, what are we gonna do? We can't let something bad happen to Artemis," Wally finally said. He never would have believed he'd have gone from hating her to considering her a friend, but he had. He'd come to care about the team's archer so much so that he couldn't stand the thought of her _not_ being a part of the team. Losing Artemis was not an option, period.

Robin shook his head, a helpless look on his face. "I don't know if there's anything we can do . . ."

**x x x **

**Mount Justice**

**October 2, 15:07 EDT**

Megan was scared.

She opened the oven door and removed the most recent batch of cookies only to see that they were burnt to a crisp. With a heavy sigh she scrapped the ruined cookies straight into the trash can. It was the third batch she'd burned today. She couldn't concentrate. She'd hoped that baking would distract her from the disastrous mission from the night before, but nothing she did helped, not even baking. She placed her small, green hands on the counter and let out another sigh. She was tired. She'd hardly slept all night; she couldn't get what she'd seen in Artemis's mind out of her own. At first she'd contemplated running straight to Kaldur with what she'd seen, or at the very least her uncle. But then she thought better of it. It had been traumatic for her to just watch it; she couldn't imagine having been in Artemis's shoes, having lived it. A heavy, warm hand suddenly rested on Megan's shoulder. She craned her neck to see who was next to her. It was Conner. Despite his stoic face, his eyes held such concern for her that the smile her lips curved into, though small, was genuine.

"Are you okay?" he asked once he had her attention. "You haven't been . . . you know, you, since the mission."

She automatically nodded her head for a moment, before she shook it. "No, I'm not."

As a young man of few words himself, he didn't press her to talk. He simply squeezed her shoulder gently.

"Conner," she suddenly spoke hesitantly. "If you knew something about someone that no one else knew, something that could be bad, dangerous even, what would you do? Would you tell?"

He was quiet for a moment, contemplating. Then he said, "That depends. Are you close with this person?"

"Yes, I'd like to think so."

"Well, then if I were you, I'd give that person a chance to explain themselves first, hear their side, then go from there."

"Thanks," Megan said, her smile widening a smidgen.

Conner gave her shoulder another light squeeze before he let go of her and moved out of the kitchen. Megan stayed put, thinking over Conner's words. It only took a minute for her to make up her mind. She realized Artemis deserved the chance to explain herself. She was supposed to be her Earth sister after all. It was the least Megan could do. She hurried for the infirmary, her feet never touching the ground as she floated towards her destination. She walked into the infirmary and was relieved to see Artemis awake and alone.

The archer sat up, her back against the headboard. "Hey, Megan. What's up?"

Megan shut the door behind her and got straight to the point. "Why were you with Sportsmaster?"

Artemis couldn't keep her eyes from widening. She certainly hadn't been expecting that.

"When you were poisoned I saw it, in your mind. You were with him and he . . . he killed you." Megan sat down in the chair next to Artemis's bed, her soft brown eyes pleading for an explanation, one that didn't paint her Earth sister as the enemy. "Why were you with him, how did you survive?"

Artemis ran her hands over her face, the beginnings of a migraine surfacing. Things just got a lot more complicated. "Did you tell anyone else what you saw?"

"No. I thought about it, but you deserve the chance to give me your side first."

Artemis nodded, knowing there was no way around this. She had so many memories of her father killing her she didn't bother trying to figure out which time Megan had witnessed. "I was with Sportsmaster because he's my father."

The room was deadly silent for more than a minute. Finally Megan whispered, "Your father?"

Artemis nodded. "Yeah."

"But . . . he's a bad guy."

"Yes."

"But you're not."

"No."

Megan realized that it all made sense now. How secretive Artemis was with her personal life, the way she seemed to keep everyone at arms length, and why she never wanted Megan looking into her mind. Hindsight really was 20/20.

"He doesn't like that very much, does he?"

"Nope. Sportsmaster is easily angered and he lets his passion get the best of him."

"So, because you wouldn't kill a man for him, he killed you?" Megan asked, her eyes holding a mix of horror and sympathy.

Artemis now knew which memory Megan had seen. The very first time her father had killed her, the time he hadn't known she'd come back to life. Artemis simply nodded.

"That's terrible!"

Artemis gave a small shrug. "Life is sometimes."

"Yeah, but, if he killed you, then why aren't you, you know, dead?"

Artemis took a deep breath. "Because of something that happened to me when I was 8 years old. I was living in rural Vietnam at the time with my older sister and my uncle, who was a temple monk. My mother sent my sister and me there to keep my father from forcing us into their way of life. A few months after we started living there, a thief broke into the temple and tried to steal the offerings. I saw it and even though it was stupid, I tried to stop him. Despite my young age and size, I put up a pretty good fight." Artemis shook her head. "But in the end I lost. The thief stabbed me in the chest with a hunting knife before making off with the offering box. By the time my uncle and the others found me, it was clear I wasn't going to make it; I'd lost too much blood. The Sangha, or head monk, couldn't stand the fact that someone so selfless and innocent was going to die so young, so he did something, some kind of magic, I don't know, before I took my last breath. He assured me everything would be alright. Then I died." Artemis took in a shuttered breath. "But I didn't stay dead. I remember waking up in my uncle's arms, a dull ache in my chest, and the mark of a butterfly at the base of my neck. It was kind of strange and surreal. I'd been resurrected, but the Sangha paid for it with his life. Whatever ancient magic he used had been too much. Saving my life had cost his."

A thought dawned on Megan. "So that's why you were so angry with Wally for not believing in magic when we went to the Tower of Fate. You're, like, walking proof."

"Wally could try and science this up any way he wanted to, but magic is the only way to explain it. Anyway, I've never been able to find out more about the tattoo-like mark I now carry. Whatever the Sangha did to me, he seems to be the only one who knew how and the secret died with him. I didn't even know the spell would work more than once actually. We all thought it was a onetime thing and that the butterfly tattoo was a side effect or something. Turns out it's a counter."

"What do you mean?"

"I've died well over a dozen times now, and not only have I come back to life every time, but each time I'm resurrected my tattoo fades a little more, as if it's keeping track."

"What happens when it fades completely?" Megan asked, although she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

"Game over." Artemis let that sink in for a moment before adding, "Anyway, after my mom got caught and thrown in jail for her crimes, my father came to Vietnam to retrieve my sister and me, to put us back on the path he wanted us to follow. When I refused to kill he was so infuriated by my disobedience he killed me in a fit of rage. He didn't know I'd come back to life, I didn't even know I'd come back at that point. It was after that ordeal that I realized the tattoo gave me more than one resurrection, although they are numbered and I have no way of knowing how many deaths I truly get."

"So, when Wally brought you out of the fire at Happy Harbor and I couldn't pick up any brain activity, that's because you-"

"Were dead, yes. How I die determines how long it takes me to come back."

"This is-"

"Crazy?" Artemis supplied.

"Remarkable. You die and are raised from the dead. It's a miracle."

"It's a curse."

Megan shook her head. "How can you say that?"

"Do you know what it's like to die? Because I do. I've gotten to experience it over and over and over again. Every time it's painful, and every time I'm torn between fear and hopefulness. Fear that this is it, that I won't get another chance at life, and hopefulness that this truly is it and I won't have to experience death again. And then there's the coming back to life part. It's the most disorienting thing imaginable," Artemis spit bitterly.

Megan wasn't sure what to say to that, so she asked, "Why don't you let the others know?"

Artemis shook her head. "Because I can't. And you can't either. Nobody is supposed to know about this, it could ruin everything. Just know that if I ever die in front of the others, you have to play along."

"But why?"

"You're just gonna have to trust me on that." Artemis fixed Megan with a serious look. "Please, Megan."

After a moment, Megan let out a weary sigh. She'd be a hypocrite if she expected Artemis to tell the team her secrets when she wouldn't even tell them of her white Martian heritage. "Okay. But, when whatever you're doing is over, you'd better explain all the secrecy."

Artemis gave a tense nod of her head. In all honesty, she didn't know if she'd ever have the chance to really explain what she was a part of to Megan. She had no idea where she'd be once everything was said and done.

After all, she wasn't invincible, even with the resurrection mark.

_**To be continued . . . **_

**A/N:** Not an exciting chapter and a bit short, but I hope you all enjoyed the spitfire moment, the renewed bromance between Robin and KF, the sister solidarity between Artemis and Megan, and the info behind Artemis's strange ability that was revealed :) As always, comments are appreciated! Happy Thanksgiving!

_**SakuraJade**_


	9. Her Cross to Bear

**A/N:** Tangled Web has reached over 150 reviews now! How awesome is that? This fic is ALWAYS on my mind (seriously, I'm not joking) and all the wonderful reviews (I've even gotten two in Spanish and I don't speak much Spanish (I did Japanese in college) lol but I was able to get the gist and appreciate them all the same!), and support from you guys keeps me driven to see it all the way to the end and make it the very best I can. Thank you all so, so much :) Now if stupid Cartoon Network would stop putting YJ on hiatus for no apparent reason I'd be even more motivated. The worst part is new eps are always TBA it seems so we can't even look forward to the day the next one will air. Jerks . . .

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice, DC Comics, and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

**Rated T** for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

_Italics _mean thoughts

"_Italics within quotes_" mean telepathy

_Ask no questions and you'll hear no Lies . . ._

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 9: Her Cross to Bear_

**Mount Justice**

**October 7, 15:45 EDT**

"Recognized, Artemis, B07."

Wally's head shot up – almost knocking it on the cabinet he'd been rummaging through in the process – as the computer announced the archer's arrival overhead. Artemis hadn't been back at the cave since she'd been released from the Mount Justice Infirmary five days ago. She'd missed practice all week. When he'd questioned Black Canary about Artemis's absence, she was as evasive as ever about it. To say Wally was getting antsy was an understatement, especially after Sunday's events. Any time his mind had a chance to wander it seemed to focus on Artemis and the painful scars she bared. Questions assaulted his mind daily: Who'd done that to her? When? Why? With constant questions and no answers it was enough to drive a person crazy. But the harder he tried not to think of it, the more he thought of it. It was becoming a vicious cycle. Concerned for the blonde's wellbeing, Robin had agreed to help find out what was going on, but so far even the Boy Wonder hadn't discovered anything new regarding their mysterious teammate. All Robin knew was that practice at the cave wasn't the only thing Artemis had been missing; she'd been absent from school all week as well. Dying to know that Artemis was okay, Wally had been on the verge of storming her apartment. Unbeknown to her, she'd saved him the trip by showing up at the cave today.

Before Wally could actively seek her out, she appeared in the kitchen, stopping in the doorway. His eyes immediately swept over her figure, reassuring himself that she was indeed safe and in one piece.

"Where have you been all week?" he asked, finally finished with his assessment of her well-being.

She shrugged nonchalantly as she headed for the island in the middle of the kitchen and leaned against it. "Busy doing stuff."

Wally raised a suspicious eyebrow. "What kind of 'stuff'?"

Artemis didn't look at him as she replied, "Does it matter?"

Her response had that hallow, lifeless quality that reminded him of utter hopelessness. That tone of voice was always accompanied by a far away, haunted look in her deep blue eyes that he simply couldn't ignore. He didn't think she even realized when she entered that state, but he did and it unnerved him every single time. It was a clear indication that there was more going on in her life than she let on and it drove him crazy with curiosity . . . and concern.

In an effort to hide how anxious he'd been over her absence he scoffed and said, "Uh, yeah, it kind of does. We've all been to each practice this week busting our butts to get better while you've been M.I.A."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Well if you're so tired of being here from practice, why are you here tonight? We don't have practice on Fridays."

"Me and Rob are gonna veg out and play some video games. What are you doing here?"

"I promised Megan last week that I'd help her pick out a Homecoming dress for next weekend."

"Only Megan?" he asked, a small bubble of hope appearing in his chest at the possibility that Artemis wasn't attending her Homecoming dance after all. "Don't you need one too?"

"No," Wally felt relief wash over him, "I already have one." That same relief that sprang up only a second before was extinguished, immediately replaced with disappointment.

Artemis didn't notice the rapid change in demeanor as she asked, "Are you going to your Homecoming?"

"Nah, there's no one I really wanted to go with," he replied, trying to keep a note of disinterest in his voice.

"Meaning you couldn't get anyone to go with you," Artemis jabbed.

Wally's face soured at her bluntness. Megan chose that moment to walk in. She greeted both her teammates with a warm smile.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Artemis. You ready?"

"Lead the way," she answered as she pushed off from the counter.

"See-ya later, Wally!" Megan called over her shoulder as she headed back out of the kitchen.

Artemis gave a silent wave before disappearing as well. The girls were barely gone a minute when Robin popped into the kitchen.

"Figured you'd be in here," he said in a teasing tone. Robin tossed an already open envelope on the countertop as Wally handed him a can of soda he'd pulled from the fridge.

"Who sent you a letter?" the speedster asked with a nod of his head.

"Actually it's for you and Artemis. It was sent to the Justice League headquarters in D.C."

Wally quirked an eyebrow in surprise.

"Batman gave it to me to pass along to the two of you."

"Well, you just missed Artemis," Wally informed as he snatched the white envelope up. "She and Megan were gonna go look at dresses for Homecoming. Although Artemis already has hers . . ." Wally trailed off bitterly.

Robin tapped his can of soda as he said, "Yeah, about that . . ."

**x x x **

Artemis knew Wally was suspicious, that he suspected she was keeping secrets. With the scars he knew she bore and her recent string of absences, she wasn't surprised. What was surprising was how much lying to him was starting to hurt. It bothered her that she was lying to all of them. Megan was the only one who knew anything, and even she didn't know everything. The Martian was still unaware that Artemis's father wasn't the only family member she had working for the Shadows, or about her role as a double agent. Wally wasn't the only one she was lying to, but if she was completely honest – something she seldom got to be – he was the one that bothered her the most. It was a complication she hadn't foreseen . . .

"Earth to Artemis."

At the sound of her name, Artemis blinked her eyes and raised them to look at Megan. The two teenagers were standing in a department store at a mall in Happy Harbor, a rack of elegant dresses in front of them.

"Hm?" Artemis questioned distractedly.

"I've been trying to get your attention for the last minute. Are you okay?" Megan asked, genuine concern evident in her lithe voice.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

Megan looked unsure but she didn't push it. She held up a pink dress constructed of smooth satin. "What do you think of this one?"

Artemis scrutinized the garment. "It's very . . . pink . . ." was all she could come up with.

"Well, duh," Megan giggled as she slung it over her left arm already laden with several dresses in a myriad of colors. "That's what makes it great."

Artemis didn't look convinced that being pink automatically made something great, but she decided to keep that to herself. Instead she asked, "I still don't understand why we had to go dress shopping. I've already got my Homecoming dress, and you don't actually need clothes since you make them organically with your mind, or whatever it is you do."

"Well, I still needed ideas on what to fashion for myself."

"You couldn't have just flipped through a shallow teen magazine for inspiration?"

Megan rolled her eyes as she lifted a gauzy chocolate brown dress from the rack and examined it. "I suppose I could have, but where's the fun in that?" She turned the dress around once and put it back on the rack. "Besides, this is all part of the 'Earth experience' I came here for!"

Artemis didn't bother pointing out that Megan was getting a United States experience more so than an Earth experience. "Okay, well why didn't you go with some of the girls from the cheerleading squad or something?"

"Because . . . this is the kind of thing you do with a best friend. At least, that's what I saw on all the sitcoms I've watched."

Artemis couldn't keep a small chuckle from escaping. Megan compared everything she experienced on Earth to things she'd seen on cheesy American sitcoms. It was funny and enduring at the same time. It was official. If the Shadows didn't kill her, getting so emotionally attached to the members on the team would. Growing up the way she had, Artemis never let anyone close enough to reach best friend status. Without meaning to, she'd inexplicably acquired one who not only thought of them as best friends, but 'Earth sisters.' In a way it was mind boggling. She'd spent the greater half of her life keeping people out with an emotional wall, but after being on the team for a little over a month, that wall was riddled with gaps and holes where the members of the team had unwittingly broken through. The funniest part was that they hadn't even done anything special; they'd pretty much just been themselves.

"I think this is enough," Megan suddenly said lifting the huge pile of dresses in her arms.

Together they headed for the dressing rooms. Megan had Artemis hold each dress up while she copied it to see how it looked on her.

"So, who are you going to your Homecoming with? Anybody special?" Megan asked as she copied a white strapless knee-length gown made out of some silky material.

"Just a guy I know from my grade."

"What's the theme?"

"Fairytale masquerade."

"That sounds like fun!" Megan exclaimed as she copied the next dress Artemis held up.

"Yeah, because I don't spend enough time with a mask on my face," Artemis responded, her voice holding a note of displeasure. "My school gets zero points for originality."

"Ours is 'a look to the future.' I think that means they're gonna do some kind of futuristic space theme," Megan explained, copying another dress and spinning around to watch the long emerald green pleated skirt flare out. "I don't know which I'm more excited for, the big football game, or the dance."

Artemis scoffed. "I'm definitely skipping Gotham Academy's football game. I don't really care if they win or not."

"Oh, well, if you aren't going to your school's football game, how about coming to mine to see my halftime performance? I'd really like you to see the end result since you've helped me with the routine so much. I already invited the others earlier in the week and they agreed to come."

Despite her vow to spend less time bonding with the team in an effort to stave off the growing attachment, Artemis couldn't bring herself to turn Megan down. She was clearly excited and really wanted her friends there. Even though school events weren't really her thing, Artemis sincerely wanted to support Megan.

"Sure, you can count me in."

"Great! I can't wait for you to see the final product with the whole squad." Megan's face suddenly became almost shy. "Thank you, for making my participation possible. I never would have gotten good enough quickly enough to keep my spot on the squad if you hadn't helped me practice or given me the idea to use my ability to fly. I couldn't have done it without you, Artemis."

"Don't worry about it. Besides, it's not like you aren't doing something big for me."

Artemis didn't have to explain that she was talking about who her father was and her resurrection mark, Megan knew.

"About that . . . that wouldn't have anything to do with why you were missing all week, would it?"

"To an extent," was all Artemis said.

What else could she say? She couldn't very well tell Megan that she'd been gone all week because she'd been detained by the Shadows for several days and had literally been beaten to death for saving Wally and nailing a fellow member with an arrow on purpose. Even after they'd felt her punishment had been severe enough and had let her return to Gotham, she'd needed a little time to recover. Despite her incredibly fast ability to heal, she still looked pretty banged up after she left Infinity Island the day before. She almost had to cancel her plans to accompany Megan, but the bruises had almost completely disappeared by the time she had to leave her apartment for Mount Justice, so she decided not to bail on her friend. The bruises were so faint that, coupled with her naturally tanned skin, someone would have to get pretty close and really take a good look at her to even have a chance to notice them.

"You're okay though, right?"

The question was subjective. Was she physically okay? Sure, her resurrection mark made sure of that. But psychologically? Emotionally? She was far from okay. In fact, she'd probably never really be okay at this point.

"Yeah, I'm fine," was her reply. Another lie, like everything else that seemed to come out of her mouth.

Megan looked appeased and went back to staring at herself in the mirror. Artemis sighed and leaned against the wall. If her friends would just stop asking questions like that she wouldn't have to tell so many lies, and maybe she wouldn't lay awake at night as each lie she told them slowly chipped away at her soul.

**x x x**

**Mount Justice**

**October 7, 18:03 EDT**

Artemis flopped down on the common room couch with a sigh and closed her eyes, head resting against the back. She'd lost count of how many stores Megan had dragged her through in the hunt for the perfect dress. Spending time with Megan hadn't been bad; it was the pedestrian activity of mindless shopping that had been torturous. The couch cushion suddenly dipped next to her.

"So, how was shopping?" Wally asked and Artemis could hear the mischievous smile in his voice.

"Like you really don't know."

"Yeah but it's so much funnier to hear you say it."

"Artemis would have rolled her eyes if they weren't still closed. "If bothering me is the only reason you came over here then get lost."

"Actually, I came to give you this."

Artemis felt a feather-light weight grace her lap, forcing her to open her eyes. A small, already opened envelope was lying across one of her thighs. She picked it up gingerly. "What's this?"

"It was sent to the Justice League headquarters in D.C. It had our names on it, so Batman passed it along to Robin to give to us."

"Who sent it?" Artemis asked as she pulled a hand written letter out of the envelope and unfolded it.

"The mother of the little girl we rescued from the funhouse. She wanted to thank us for saving her daughter and her nephew."

"But, there was no way they knew who we were. You had your goggles on and I'm a nobody."

Wally frowned at her referring to herself as 'a nobody.' She certainly wasn't a nobody to him, to the team.

"She explained in the letter that it was my super speed. The kids told her how fast I moved and she assumed I must be involved with the League in some way. She hoped if the letter managed to get to me, that you'd end up get to see it too."

Wally watched her face closely as she scanned the contents of the letter. When he saw a delicate flush ting her sun-kissed skin he knew what part of the letter she was reading. The kids hadn't been able to peg Artemis for a superhero like they had Wally, but that didn't stop them from theorizing about who she might be. They'd apparently thought she'd been some kind of guardian angel. It clearly embarrassed her, and Wally couldn't help but find that cute. The smile on his face suddenly turned into a frown as he stared at her profile. He hadn't been close enough to notice it a few hours ago when they were in the kitchen, but now that he was sitting right next to her there was no denying it. The skin above her right temple was slightly discolored. It was yellowish with a very faint purple tint. It looked like a bruise that'd almost healed. His hand had gripped her head, the pad of his thumb gently brushing the spot, before he even realized he'd moved. Artemis froze at the contact, the rosy blush that had covered her cheeks gone in an instant. The sudden contact and Wally's gentleness had surprised her, but more important was the spot he was touching. He'd noticed one of the lingering bruises from her week spent locked up on Infinity Island.

"What the hell . . ." Wally trailed off as he moved even closer, eyes narrowed. And then it was like he could see everything because he knew to look for it. He noticed the long, white laceration across her neck, the yellowish freckling along her collarbone, the telltale marks of rope burn around the wrist nearest to him.

He opened his mouth to speak but Artemis beat him to it. "Don't," was all she said, her eyes staring straight ahead.

Wally spoke anyway, his voice low but firm. "What happen after you left here on Sunday? Where were you all week?"

Artemis tried to look exasperated but Wally could tell it was forced. "Fine, if you must know, I was busy with Green Arrow."

"That's crap and you know it. Green Arrow wouldn't have kept you out of school all week." She didn't have a response to that, so Wally continued, "Were you gone all week by choice," his eyes fell on the circular shadow that surrounded her wrist, "or by force?"

"I'm telling you, I spent all week in Star City with Green Arrow."

"Stop lying!" Wally suddenly yelled, losing his cool.

Artemis jerked away from her teammate and stood up abruptly, the letter she'd been reading moments ago falling to the floor forgotten. "Then stop asking me questions about things that don't concern you! My problems are my cross to bear."

She stormed out of the room in a rush, and a half a minute later Wally heard the security system announce her departure over head. He fisted his hands in his hair and let out an agitated sigh. Why couldn't she just be open and honest with him? Was she afraid of the truth, or did she really not trust him? His fear for her safety escalated yet again and he didn't know how much more he could take. It was constantly present, heavy and suffocating, threatening to overwhelm him.

Megan suddenly poked her head in the room, oblivious to the argument that had just taken place. "I'm almost done with dinner if you'd like some."

"I'm not hungry," Wally said much to the Martian's astonishment as he stomped out of the room. He was too frustrated with Artemis to eat, too angry.

Too worried.

_**To be continued . . . **_

**A/N: **So, this chapter was originally going to take us through Homecoming, but it was going to be too long, plus I really wanted to post an update for you guys already, so I decided to make it two chapters, splitting it here. Anyway, if you have a moment, let me know what you thought of it :)

_**SakuraJade**_


	10. The Ties that Bind

**A/N:** Finally back with chapter 10! You wouldn't believe what I had to go through to get this up here! First my jump drive I keep my fics on malfunctioned and I almost wasn't able to get it off (would have resulted in many tears on my part), then somethings came up the last 3 nights to keep me from uploading. And tonight, ffnet wouldn't let me sign in for the longest time. Grrrrr.

Anyway, we've finally made it to Homecoming! At least the first half of it anyway. I wrote the whole Homecoming bit out, but it was just too long (21 pages, about 8,700 words), so I had to cut it in half. The bad news is, we won't get to the dance until the NEXT chapter, which, admittedly, is the more interesting half. But the good news is that it's already done, so it will be released with in a week at the latest. I just want to tweak a few things I'm not entirely satisfied with. As always, the feedback I've been getting is greatly appreciated (a special thanks to **Yuna **for taking the time to review even though English isn't her first language. Feel free to keep commenting in a mix of English and Spanish, Yuna, I'm able to understand what you are trying to say)! You guys have made me so glad I decided to write this, you have no idea :)

On a side note, I loved the Spitfire interaction in _Insecurities! _Was Wally's little speech on the bioship not the cutest thing or what? ;)

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice, DC Comics, Warner Brothers, and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

**Rated T** for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

_Italics _mean thoughts

"_Italics within quotes_" mean telepathy

_With Lies you may go ahead in the world - but you can never go back . . ._

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 10: The Ties That Bind_

**Happy Harbor High**

**October 14, 18:45 EDT**

The team – minus Megan and Kaldur – was standing in line outside the Happy Harbor High football field, waiting to buy tickets to the homecoming game. Megan was already inside with the squad and Kaldur had returned to Atlantis for the weekend to assist Aquaman on a last minute mission. A candy apple red Mustang pulled up to the curb near the group and two girls jump out. They stayed by the curb and talked with the driver, a male student in a letterman's jacket, for a moment.

Wally watched the exchange as he said, "Check out those hotties! I haven't thought much about getting a car next month when I turn sixteen since I'm, you know, me, but if I could attract honeys like that it'd totally be worth it. The girls at my school won't be able to resist a car like that."

"Yeah, until they see who's driving it," Artemis smirked.

Robin gave a snort, which turned into a full out laugh when Wally shot him a dirty look. The line moved forward and Wally stared at Artemis's long, blonde ponytail as it swished back and forth teasingly. It'd been a week since they'd argued about the nature of her absence, and Wally was no closer to the truth. The day after her return to Mount Justice, Artemis showed up for practice and carried on as though the conversation concerning her whereabouts had never taken place between the two of them. Wally was at a loss. He didn't want to ignore the marks he knew he'd seen, but pushing her for information only caused her to shut him out, and he couldn't stand that. So he'd had no choice but to let it go and act like he usually did: all jokes and playfulness. It was easier said than done, however, and all the fake bravado he could muster on the outside hadn't kept him from acutely worrying about her on the inside.

Artemis pulled out her wallet to purchase her ticket, but a 10 dollar bill was thrust at the cashier by someone else. Her eyes trailed along the pro-offered hand and her dark blue eyes landed on a pair of green ones.

"I got it," Wally offered up. "Two tickets please."

Artemis frowned at his generosity. "I can pay for myself."

"Didn't say you couldn't," he responded as the cashier wordlessly took his money and handed him two tickets. He held one out to the blonde. He knew how hard it was for Artemis to accept the help of others, but he also knew her financial situation was less than ideal and that she had to work hard to get the little money she had. Of course, he couldn't tell her he'd over heard the conversation she and her mother had been having regarding their financial problems a few weeks back when her apartment had been vandalized, but he figured he could at least cover her five dollar ticket.

She stared at it for a moment before she took it, a grudging 'thanks' leaving her lips as she handed her ticket to the guy at the gate.

"You're welcome," Wally replied and left it at that.

Once the group had entered the stadium, the speedster made a beeline for the concession stand.

"He could have at least waited until we got some seats," Conner grumbled. "All the bleachers close to the field are gonna be taken soon and Megan will be disappointed. She wants us all right up front."

"Well, we wouldn't wanna disappoint Megan," Robin said as he made kissing noises.

Conner's face reddened and he shoved the shorter boy. "Knock it off."

"You two go get us some seats, I'll wait for Kid Idiot," Artemis offered. Robin gave a jocular salute before heading for the home team's side with Conner. Artemis watched where they sat before she slouched against the wall to quietly wait for the bottomless pit they called a teammate. A shadow suddenly appeared on the ground in her line of sight and she looked up to see a young man with dark hair and tanned skin staring at her, his eyes alight with recognition.

At the concession stand, Wally grabbed the drink and soft pretzel he'd just purchased and moved to rejoin the others. It only took him a moment to see Artemis off to the side. A smile spread across his face as he realized she'd stayed behind to wait for him. He headed in her direction but stopped short a few paces away when someone else reached her first.

"Hey, I recognize you. You did karaoke at the Fall Festival last month. You did that Ashlee Simpson song, right?" the young man asked.

Artemis couldn't keep the surprise off her face. "Uh, yeah, I did."

"You rocked it out! My friends and I thought you were awesome. I didn't know you go to school here too."

"She doesn't."

Artemis turned to her left to see Wally standing there with a sour look on his face, a big drink in one hand and a giant soft pretzel in the other. The soft pretzel had become slightly smashed from the tight grip he had on it.

"The others went and saved us some seats," Artemis explained.

"Then we shouldn't keep them waiting, should we?" he replied as he nudged her forward with his knuckles. He glanced over his shoulder at the confused teenager and flippantly said, "Sorry, you'll have to try picking up a different girl, this one's busy."

Wally seethed internally as he and the archer headed for the bleachers. He couldn't believe some joker from the Fall Festival actually recognized Artemis from her karaoke performance, although even he couldn't deny it was rather unforgettable. The image of her tossing her loose hair about as she moved her hips popped into his mind uninvited more often than he liked to admit.

Once they were out of ear shot Artemis turned on the redhead. "What the heck? You were so rude!"

"I'm rude?" Wally cried in outrage. "We came to support Megan, not so you could flirt with some random guy."

"You're one to talk. You practically flirt with every girl that crosses your path!" Artemis countered as the pair took the two open seats next to Robin.

The Boy Wonder watched his friends heatedly glare at each other. "I'm not even gonna ask."

"Megan's down on the field," Superboy said, inadvertently defusing the tension.

Megan was on the sidelines, scanning the bleachers for familiar faces. Festooned in the black and yellow pleated skirt, black vest with a yellow H, and long sleeved white shirt that made up the Bumblebee uniform, she waved enthusiastically once she spotted the team. All four of her teammates gave a wave of acknowledgement in return. The Martian returned her attention to the squad as their captain began addressing them. The cheerleaders started things off with light tumbling and some cheering to get the crowd going as the Hornets came out onto the field. As the game progressed so did the routines and Megan was having no trouble keeping up with the other girls, much to Artemis's relief. All their practice had paid off and Megan looked as though she couldn't have been happier. Artemis felt a warmth in the pit of her stomach at the knowledge that she'd helped her friend achieve this.

"Megan's looking pretty good out there," Wally commented after the auburn haired girl did two back hand springs landing in the splits.

"She told me how much you helped her, Artemis," Conner suddenly spoke, catching the group's attention. "She said she wouldn't have been good enough to perform tonight if it hadn't been for your help so . . . thanks." His words were gruffly uttered, but there was a genuine look of appreciation on the young Kryptonian's face as he looked at her.

The blonde could feel her cheeks growing warm from the way all three boys were gazing at her, especially Wally's scrutinizing one.

"_You_ helped Megan? With _cheerleading?_" he asked disbelievingly, looking at her as though he'd never really seen her before.

"Yeah, the gymnastics part anyway," Artemis replied. In an effort to avoid Wally's intense gaze she trained her eyes on Conner. "You just make sure she has a good time at the Homecoming dance tomorrow."

Conner gave a curt nod of his head as he moved his eyes back to the field. Artemis followed suit and watched as the cheerleaders rallied the crowd. With their backs to the game, none of the girls saw the player rushing for the sidelines, his eyes on the football sailing his way. He effortlessly caught the ball right before a player on the apposing team tackled him. Unable to stop from the momentum, the two players tumbled out of bounds and plowed into a cheerleader with short black hair and light blue eyes. The three athletes hit the ground together hard, landing in a heap of tangled limbs. Gasps rang out across the crowd as those on the field hurried to help the girl up. Megan and two other squad members escorted her to the locker room. By the end of the first quarter they had yet to return. As the second quarter started Artemis jerked abruptly as a familiar voice popped into her head.

"_I'm sorry to intrude, Artemis, but could you meet me by the girls' locker room? Please?"_

At her sudden movement, Wally glanced at her and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

She gave a shake of her head to rid herself of the invasive feeling it left and stood up. "Nothing. I'll, uh, be right back."

When she found the entrance to the girls' locker room, Megan was already standing outside of it, wringing her hands together nervously.

"What's wrong?" Artemis asked as she approached her friend.

"Oh, Artemis, it's a disaster!" Megan cried. "Wendy's hurt! One of those footballers land on her leg and she can't even walk, never mind flip around."

"Can you guys still perform at half-time without her?"

Megan shook her head. "No one on the junior varsity squad is good enough to participate in her place."

"I'm sorry, Megan. I know how important this was to you," Artemis said sympathetically. "I wish there was something I could do."

"There is. You could take her place," Megan said, face alight with hope.

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding, right?"

"Think about it, you have amazing gymnastic skills and you're familiar with the routine because you've been helping me for weeks! We have the whole second quarter to practice it."

"I don't even go to school here!"

"No one has to know." Megan took the blonde's hands in her own. "Please, Artemis, I'm begging you."

Artemis sighed. "Look, I know you really wanted to do this, but-"

"It's more than that. Happy Harbor High's cheerleading squad is nationally ranked. There are actually college scouts here to watch tonight's performance. If we do well, some of the seniors could end up with college scholarships. I don't know a lot about college or what it takes to get there, but I have gathered that this is a big deal. For some of the girls, their futures are riding on the possibility of a scholarship. If we don't perform, they lose that chance."

Artemis gnawed on her bottom lip as Megan stared at her intently. She really didn't want to play cheerleader, even if it was only for one performance, but . . . she didn't want anyone to lose the chance at a good future because of an unfortunate mishap either. Just because her own future was bleak and uncertain didn't mean she couldn't help make sure someone else's was bright and full of opportunities.

**x x x **

Wally made it back from his forth concession stand run just as the buzzer sounded to end the second quarter, initiating the start of half time.

"Just in time," he stated as he took his seat, a hot dog with the works in his grasp. He bit into it as he glanced at the still empty seat next to him. "Artemis still isn't back?" he mumbled out around a mouth full of hot dog. They hadn't seen her since she excused herself at the beginning of the second quarter. The announcer began to start the half time show.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your three time national champions, the Happy Harbor Bumblebees!"

The crowd began to cheer and holler as the sound of a siren filled the PA system followed by the beginnings of the song _When I Grow Up_ by The Pussycat Dolls, which Artemis couldn't help but find ironic given the uncertainty of her own future. The girls came out cheering and flipping to the beat.

"I can't believe she's gonna miss Megan's routine!" Wally complained, taking another huge bite of his food.

Robin leaned forward in his seat and stared intently at the girls on the field as they preformed several dance moves in sync. "Uh, Artemis isn't missing Megan's routine, she's in it."

Wally almost choked on the hot dog in his mouth. "What?"

Robin simply pointed to the far right. When Wally's eyes fell on the figure in question he lost his grip on what was left of the hot dog and it hit the concrete with a splat. There was Artemis, decked out in the Bumblebee uniform, her long blond hair tied off in a high ponytail instead of a low one with a black ribbon. As far as anyone could tell, Artemis was a valid member of the squad.

"Megan's over there," Robin pointed out casually, as if nothing strange was happening.

As the boys watched, the song playing remixed into a different one and the moves being executed became increasingly difficult, smoothly flowing back and forth between dance moves and gymnastics. Both Artemis and Megan looked great, although it was clear that Megan was enjoying it while Artemis just appeared to be participating. After several minutes of flipping, twisting, and tossing, the girls finished with a pyramid. They held the pose for a moment before disbanding to the cheering of the crowd. As soon as the routine was over the girls headed back to the locker room to rehydrate. Artemis quickly changed back into her jeans, black turtle neck, and boots – though she neglected to reposition her ponytail – and headed back to the stands to rejoin the others. Passing behind the concession stand, she stopped when she heard a slow, mocking clap from behind her. She whirled around to see Jade standing there in civilian garb, a snide smile on her lips.

"So you're a cheerleader now, huh?"

"I was just helping out a friend. Something you wouldn't know anything about," Artemis responded defensively, eyes narrow with suspicion. An appearance by her sister was never a good thing.

"You don't have any friends!" Jade growled. "You actually think those do-gooders would consider you a friend if they knew who you really are, where you come from? Even if they didn't reject you based on your heritage, you've told them almost nothing but lies since you 'joined' their little team, and you can never go back and change that." Anguish marred her little sister's dark eyes at her harsh words and she smirked in twisted delight. "You are bound by blood to the Shadows. That is where you belong. These wannabe super teens are nothing but an assignment to you, and you'd better start acting like it. In fact, you shouldn't be spending any of your time on silly teenage frivolities."

Jade turned her back on the blonde and began to walk away. "Consider this a warning; you'll do well to heed it."

Artemis watched her sister disappear within the deep shadows cast by the bleachers. She refused to let Jade intimidate her. Even if her loyalties actually laid with the Shadows as they thought, she was still a fifteen year old girl. She had every right to participate in evenings out with other teenagers, including the members on the team; members who'd most definitely become her friends. Even as she thought that, her eyes filled with uncertainty. She couldn't help but feel that her sister's words held a note of truth to them. After all, no amount of good deeds or acts of kindness would ever erase the fact that she was the byproduct of a loveless marriage between two super villains. How could anyone ever really look past that? Megan was the only member of the team who knew the truth about her family, at least her parents anyway, and though the Martian girl didn't seem to be passing judgement based on her heritage, that didn't mean that she secretly wasn't. And what of the others? Would they be as accepting as Megan seemed to be? Could she really blame them if they weren't? With a dejected sigh she continued for the bleachers. The blood ties she had to the Shadows was a stigma she knew she'd carry until the grave.

When she got back to the stands Wally opened his mouth as soon as he saw her.

"Whatever you're gonna say, take a deep breath, and then don't," she said as she reclaimed her seat, taking the wind right out of his sails.

Once the game ended, Megan met up with the others outside the stadium's exit. She squealed in delight as she hugged Artemis.

"Thank you so much for your help, Artemis! Two of the seniors have already been invited to colleges to talk about possible scholarships for next year! They're so excited and we couldn't have done it without you."

"You did great out there, Artemis," Robin offered with a teasing smile. "You'd make a pretty good cheerleader, if you had school spirit. And, you know, actually liked people at our school."

"Funny," Artemis replied, voice flat.

"I can't believe how well everything worked out!" Megan gushed. "The routine went off without a hitch, the Hornets won the game," she linked her arm through Conner's, "and tomorrow we get to attend a fancy dance." She looked over at Artemis. "Yours is tomorrow too, isn't?"

The blonde gave a nod of her head. Megan looked at Robin. "Are you attending as well, Robin?"

"You know it. I'm taking my friend Barbara."

"What about you, Wally? Any plans for tomorrow evening?"

"Nah, I'm just gonna hang out and watch some bad movies," he answered. His eyes met Robin's and the younger boy gave a slight nod.

Both knew he was lying through his teeth.

_**To be continued . . .**_

A/N: So that was the first part of Homecoming weekend. Next time, we'll cover the dance at Gotham Academy, which I have a feeling many of you have been waiting for, if your reviews are any indication :) As usual, drop me a review and let me know what you think, I love hearing from all of you! See you soon, promise!

_**SakuraJade**_


	11. When Dreams Become Nightmares

**A/N:** Back with the second half of Homecoming in less than a week, as promised :) I hope it meets everyone's expectations! Despite cutting it three times, it's still ended up at 17 pages lol

I can't believe this story is almost at 200 reviews! I'm absolutely ecstatic, thanks so much for all the wonderful comments everyone :)

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice, DC Comics, Warner Brothers, and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

**Rated T** for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

_Italics _mean thoughts

"_Italics within quotes_" mean telepathy

_Things come apart so easily when they've been held together with Lies . . ._

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 11: When Dreams Become Nightmares_

**Gotham Academy**

**October 15, 19:38 EDT**

Wally sighed and adjusted the cheap masquerade mask covering his face as he casually leaned against the wall. He silently watched the Gotham Academy students milling about the decorated high school gym from a darkened corner where he'd tucked himself away, keeping an eye out for any suspicious behavior. It hadn't escaped him that the only time he ever came to this school was when there was trouble, the first time being when the Team had tracked Amazo to this very gym. He was not looking forward to spending his entire evening watching Artemis have fun with some rich classmate, but he knew Robin had a point and it would be worth it if it would help keep anything bad from happening to her.

_**Eight days ago**_

_**Mount Justice**_

_**October 7, 15:45 EDT**_

"_Well, you just missed Artemis," Wally informed Robin as he snatched the white envelope up. "She and Megan were gonna go look at dresses for Homecoming. Although Artemis already has hers . . ." Wally trailed off bitterly._

_Robin tapped his can of soda as he said, "Yeah, about that . . ."_

_The redhead arched his eyebrows in suspicion."Why do I have a feeling I'm not going to like what you have to say?"_

"_You need to come to Gotham Academy's Homecoming dance next weekend."_

"_Ugh, I hate when I'm right," Wally groaned._

"_Look, just hear me out. Artemis was attacked at the Fall Festival by Cheshire, a hardcore League of Shadows assassin. She tried to write it off as Cheshire taunting her for failing to catch her, and I might have believed Artemis if she hadn't been in civilian clothes. How did Cheshire know what she looked like out of uniform?"_

_Wally hadn't thought about that. He'd been too frazzled from having been in the burning building and having thought they lost Artemis to wonder at Cheshire's knowledge of the archer's civilian identity._

"_And then there was the way they regarded each other during our mission in Chicago," Robin continued. "It kind of seemed like they know each other personally. I think Cheshire attacked her at the Fall Festival in an attempt to catch her when her guard would be lowest, and if they were willing to attack her during a carnival, there's a good chance they might do the same at her school dance."_

"_What could the Shadows possible have against her though? I mean, they hate us all on principle, but why would they go to such lengths to target her personally? She's not even well known like you or me," Wally countered._

"_Maybe they actually want her to join. You told me she originally thought our stint in Bialya was a test by her dad to have her kill you when you guys woke up together. That's pretty heavy. And I know there's no way she learned all her moves from Green Arrow, especially in the short amount of time that she's been his protégé. Someone else initially trained her, and maybe they were specifically training her to fill a role different from the one she's acquired on our team. Maybe they'd rather see her dead than using her talents alongside us. All I know is that if they went to the trouble of attacking her at a festival there's a good chance they might attack her at a school dance. And if they do, I'd really like the back up."_

_Wally couldn't deny Robin had a point and only a fool would go against the deductions of the boy trained by the world's greatest detective. "I hate it even _more_ when you're right," Wally grumbled._

**x x x **

"Artemis just arrived," Dick said, suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

Wally blinked, tugged from his reverie. His eyes moved to the gym's entrance and he felt his heart give an erratic beat. He knew Artemis was an attractive girl, he'd have to be blind not to see that, especially considering the uniform she wore, but she still managed to steal his breath when his eyes landed on her. Her dress was unique and curved around her body in all the right places. It appeared to be two layers, the dark blue top one having slits that came up to the base of her rib cage on both sides with rhinestones scattered across it, the second layer a snow white skirt that clung to her hips. The two layers together revealed a smooth triangle of skin on each of her sides. Both layers stopped right above her knees, her exposed legs looking extra slender from the pair of black high heels that clasped around her ankles. Two thin straps held the dress up, crisscrossing in the back. Her hair was curled and strategically pined up in certain places with small, rhinestone studded barrettes. A sequin covered mask in the shape of a butterfly rested over her eyes. He hadn't used the word "beautiful" to describe Artemis since their bout of amnesia in Bialya, but it was the only word that came to mind as he stared across the room.

"Wow, never thought I'd see the day Wally West was rendered speechless," the younger boy said with a fiendish smile. "I don't care if you check out Artemis; just remember to keep an eye out for trouble while you're doing it."

"Shut up, it's not like that," Wally defended.

"Yeah right," Dick replied, clearly not agreeing." I gotta get back to my date."

Wally watched Dick saunter over to a trim red-head who was slightly taller than the younger boy before fixing his eyes on Artemis once more. She looked . . . strange, though not in a bad way. Aside from looking girly in the dress and heels, she looked relaxed, happy even. As long as he'd known her she always seemed guarded and standoffish, like she was constantly on edge. She never seemed to just kick back and let her hair down, and he meant that literally since she always had it in a no-nonsense ponytail, despite the fact that it looked really nice down. It was almost as though she wouldn't allow herself to enjoy life or something, although he wasn't entirely sure why. The gentle smile on her masked face suggested she was going to try and enjoy tonight at the very least.

Artemis took a good look at the gymnasium, her eyes roaming from the temporary chandeliers to the pearly white balloon arches crisscrossing over the dance floor like puffy clouds. There was even a banquet table covered in fancy hors d'oeuvres and crystal punch bowls filled to the brim with a frothy liquid. The dance committee really outdid themselves; all the food and decorating must have cost a fortune. Of course, in a school attended by most of Gotham's elite, she supposed money was no object, even for a school dance. It wasn't like the school couldn't afford it. She glanced down at her dress, still impressed with how different it looked. Gone were the long sleeves, the floor length, and the high collar. Her mom had been right, the aoi dai definitely had a certain edge to it that none of the other dresses worn by her classmates had. And it fit her like a glove. Her mom had even taken care to make sure it was high enough in the front and the back so that the majority of Artemis's scars were hidden. Movement next to her captured her attention and she turned to see Evan holding out his elbow.

"Shall we?" he asked with a smile.

She returned his smile and took hold of his arm, letting him lead her further into the gym. She'd already decided before coming that she was going to forget about who she was and where she came from for one night and just enjoy participating in a normal teenage event. She seldom got to feel like a teenager – feeling like a lethal weapon the majority of the time – and it was something she secretly longed for. She didn't want to be normal exactly. She loved being a part of the Team and fighting for people who couldn't fight for themselves, but . . . she craved _some_ normalcy, at least once in a while. She hadn't wanted to come at first, but in truth it didn't get any more normal than this, and she was determined to enjoy it, Cheshire and her warning be damned. She'd earned this night of normal, _deserved _it even. So, when Evan pulled her towards the dance floor she went with it, ready to be a regular teenager.

If just for one evening.

**x x x**

The dance had been in full swing for over an hour and nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Wally shifted position against the wall and stifled yet another yawn as he watched the students crowd around the make-shift stage where the Homecoming king and queen were about to be announced.

"You're Gotham Academy 2012 Homecoming king is . . ." the dj paused as he unfolded a piece of paper, "Evan Wingate!"

The crowd applauded as Artemis's date walked up on stage to receive his crown. Wally rolled his eyes in annoyance. She didn't just come with any guy; her date was the Homecoming king. Swell. The queen was called next, some too thin brunette named Adriana who sneered at Artemis triumphantly as she joined Evan on stage. As soon as she had her crown the emcee announced the traditional king and queen dance. Evan led Adriana to the floor to engage in the ritual slow dance as the rest of the students circled around to watch. Wally's gaze stayed on Artemis. With her date preoccupied at the moment, and the anonymity his masquerade mask provided, he suddenly felt the urge to approach her. He shoved off the wall and sidled up to her.

"So, your date's the Homecoming king, huh?" he said as a conversation starter.

Artemis glanced at the boy next to her and her eyebrows knit slightly in thought as she took in his physique and red hair. She didn't associate with many of the students at Gotham Academy, but he definitely looked familiar.

"How'd you know I was here with the Homecoming king? You been watching me?" she asked, letting her flirty side shine through.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Wally responded with a sly grin on his face, getting into it. Talking to Artemis incognito sent a thrill of excitement through him. It was like a game.

"I feel like I know you."

He gave a noncommittal shrug. "Well, we do go to the same school. Maybe we have class together."

"Yeah maybe . . ." she said, though she didn't look convinced.

"All right everyone, it's time to join the king and queen on the dance floor," the emcee announced in the middle of the song.

Wally kept his eyes on Artemis as hers drifted to the dance floor. Other students began to join the royal couple and his hands twitched. He suddenly had an overwhelming desire to touch her.

"Would you . . . like to dance?" he decided to ask. "You know, since your date's currently occupied."

Artemis stared at him, the butterfly mask she wore making it difficult for him to tell what she was thinking. "Sure, why not?" she finally replied with a half smile on her face.

She took his hand and he grinned as she began to walk onto the dance floor. After she took a few steps Wally gave a gentle tug, swinging her around quickly. Her body stopped flush against his, his free hand finding her waist as he effortlessly began to move them in sync slowly.

"You're pretty light on your feet," she commented, her checks a little flush from the contact and his bold move.

"You're not so bad yourself."

Across the floor, Dick stared at his two teammates as they danced. With a wicked grin on his face he raised his camera and took another picture.

"Why are you taking pictures of those two?" his date asked beside him.

"Just making sure I have some evidence for a conversation that's definitely going to take place later."

Barbara raised a curious eyebrow but said nothing more on the matter. The song came to a close and an upbeat one replaced it.

"Do you wanna keep going?" Wally asked, raising his voice over the base of the new song.

Artemis glanced at Evan to see a line of girls in front of him who wanted to share a song with the Homecoming king. He offered his arm to the first one, ever the gentleman. She turned her gaze back to her mystery partner.

"Sure, if you think you can keep up!" she answered playfully, a coy smile on her frosted pink lips as she picked up the pace.

Wally smirked. "I think I can manage."

Lyrics suddenly joined the heavy beat, and Wally was immediately struck by them.

_**You cast a spell on me, spell on me**_

_**You hit me like the sky fell on me, fell on me**_

_**And I decided you look well on me, well on me**_

_**So let's go somewhere no one else can see, you and me**_

_**Turn the lights out now, now I'll take you by the hand**_

_**Hand you another drink, drink it if you can**_

_**Can you spend a little time, time is slipping away **_

_**Away from us so stay, stay with me I can make**_

_**Make you glad you came**_

_**The sun goes down, the stars come out**_

_**And all that counts, is here and now**_

_**My universe will never be the same**_

_**I'm glad you came, I'm glad you came**_

The way the song captured his feelings about Artemis was uncanny. He really couldn't stand her at first, and he'd hated that she'd become the team's archer instead of Red Arrow. Then the mission to Bialya happened and he suddenly didn't mind the idea of her being his teammate. In fact, he even kind of liked that she was on the team. He might think his change of heart really was caused by some kind of magic spell if he actually believed in that hooey. Whatever it was, he could honestly say his universe would never be the same after meeting the sassy blonde archer.

He really was glad she came.

But he hadn't forgotten what she'd said in the ocean the day they jumped off Mount Justice, how he only had to deal with her for the time being. And now that he knew she had to be involved in something dangerous – if the scars on her body and her secretive nature were any indication – he was worried that time was slipping away, that eventually she would be gone for one reason or another.

Even though he desperately wanted her to stay.

The song slowed down and repeated the chorus one more time before ending. Artemis saw Evan heading for the snack table out of the corner of her eye. She looked back at her current dance partner and the look in his masked eyes startled her. The clear green was entrapping to begin with, but now they had an abundance of emotion swirling in them. His gaze held what looked like longing tinged with a hint of fear, though she couldn't fathom why. It was so intense it caused her breath to momentarily hitch and she finally had to look away.

"Thanks for the dance, but I need to get back to my date," she said, almost apologetically.

"Oh, right," Wally replied, keeping his hands on her waist a little longer than necessary before releasing his hold all together.

Artemis gave him one last sultry smile that actually made his skin prickle before leaving him. As she turned her back on Wally, the butterfly tattoo at the base of her neck caught his eye, exposed between her curls. He'd only seen it once before, but he could have sworn the faded mark was even more faded than it had been before. He blinked and shook his head at the thought. It was impossible for it to have achromatized as much as he thought it had in the amount of time that had passed since he'd last seen it. Artemis was half way to the snack table when a passing chaperon grabbed her forearm, halting her movement. She tensed and Wally raised an eyebrow, his eyes staying glued to the exchange. Something didn't feel right.

When Artemis felt the pressure on her forearm tighten threateningly, she knew who the passerby was before she even spoke.

"Wasting time again, I see," her sister sneered, continuing to stare straight ahead, her body facing the opposite direction.

"Get lost, Jade. You have no business being here."

"Dating the Homecoming king, you must feel so special. He's quite a looker, and his Armani suit screams money. I wonder if he has an older brother." Jade felt Artemis's muscle flex beneath her tight grip and her grin widened. "Relax, I have my sights set on a much . . . better prize. "

Artemis yanked her arm from her sister's grip forcefully, but didn't turn to face her.

Jade continued, undeterred. "It really is a shame though. Your date seemed so nice when I was serving him punch a minute ago. Too bad he turned out to be such a _monster_ . . ."

There was something in the way Jade said the word "monster" that made Artemis's skin crawl. It took her a handful of seconds to process it, her eyes rapidly moving back and forth as the double meaning in her sister's words became apparent.

"If you can't stay focused then I'll remove your distractions by force." Jade's lips twisted into a malicious smile. "Enjoy the rest of the dance. It's about to become a night you'll _never_ forget."

Artemis jerked her head up, eyes finding Evan immediately. He was still standing by the snack table with some friends, a red cup in his hand. He finished saying something and raised the glass to his lips.

"Evan, don't!" she called across the gym, hand stretched out on instinct as she darted towards him. Her voice was drowned out by the music thrumming from the speakers, and she watched helplessly as he chugged the contents of his cup.

Within seconds his hand relinquished its hold on the plastic glass, the rest of the liquid it contained spilling to the floor as he cried out in agony. Falling to his knees he clutched his skull, fingers digging into his scalp, the crown he wore tumbling off in the process. His friends crowded around him in concern. Then they were screaming as well, doubling back to get away as Evan's entire body began to expand, his skin actually tearing in places from the rapidly growing muscles. His expensive suit was ripped to shreds as a result, and his skin took on a sickly gray hue.

He truly looked like a monster.

**x x x **

**Happy Harbor High**

**October 15, 21:03 EDT**

Megan giggled, a brilliant smile on her face, as Conner spun her around, her pale yellow strapless tea length dress flaring out. He pulled her back to him and they moved back and forth to the gentle beat drifting through the gymnasium.

"Thanks for bringing me tonight, Conner," Megan suddenly spoke.

"Don't mention it."

"You know, I almost didn't ask you."

Superboy frowned. "Why?"

"I just didn't think you'd want to attend something like this."

"Well normally I wouldn't," he answered truthfully.

Megan's face fell. "Oh . . . Well, why did you agree to come then?"

"Because. It was you who asked me," he explained, a hint of a grin on his face.

Megan's eyes brightened, a happy smile creeping across her lips. "Really?"

Conner nodded and spun her around again. Megan laid her head on his shoulder and sighed contentedly.

"What made you change your mind?"

"Hm?" she asked, somewhat distracted by the contact.

"You said you almost didn't ask me. What made you change your mind?" he repeated.

"Oh, it was Artemis actually. I voiced my doubts about asking you and she encouraged me to do it anyway, saying that you'd be willing to go if it meant going with me. I guess she was right."

Conner chuckled, and Megan felt it reverberate from deep within his rock hard chest. "I suppose I owe her another thank you." Before she could ask what he meant he said, "She tries to keep everyone at arm's length with a snarky attitude and that tough girl act, but when one of us needs her she's definitely there. She's a pretty good friend."

Megan smiled, her rosy lips almost touching Conner's neck from the angle her face was at. "She's more than a friend, she's my Earth sister. I just hope the others are enjoying their evening as much as we are."

Conner simply nodded then rested his cheek against her soft auburn hair, content to quietly sway for the duration of the song.

**x x x **

**Gotham Academy**

**October 15, 21:05 EDT**

Artemis had almost reached Evan when he turned to her and she knew from the blank stare he fixed on her that he was no longer himself. She tried to stop, but the pumps she wore made it difficult and she slid closer still, high heels scrapping along the wooden floor. He reared his massive hand back and swung at her, a bloodthirsty look forming in his once gentle eyes. She leaned back and cringed, her eyes shutting involuntarily. Air was forced from her lungs somewhat as she felt something collide with her. The hit wasn't nearly as hard as it should have been though, and whatever it had been was still touching her, was actively moving her. She opened her eyes to see a masked face right above her. It belonged to the boy she'd danced with earlier. He was holding her close, moving them at an incredible speed.

"Man I hate it when Rob's right," he complained as he dodged around the fleeing students with ease.

"Wally?" she questioned incredulously, the speed instantly tipping her off. "What the hell are you doing here?"

He skidded to a stop and set her down, the terrified students pushing past their still forms for the exit. "We kind of got bigger things to worry about right now, don't you think?"

"You're right," Artemis instantly replied, all business. There would be time to discuss his presence later. Keeping the students safe and trying to stop Evan required their attention now. She reached under her dress and removed the small, collapsible crossbow that had been strapped to her thigh, her dress swishing as she did.

"Where the heck is Rob?" Wally questioned, trying to ignore the growing warmth in his cheeks at the amount of leg she'd inadvertently flashed him.

Evan was thrashing about, over turning the tables and chairs as he rampaged towards a group of students, cutting them off from the exit. Artemis took aim with her crossbow and shot a bolt with a line attached to it. It stuck in the wall across Evan's path and she pulled it taut, managing to trip him.

"Nice," Wally said, until Evan rose to his feet and charged at the two of them instead. "Or not."

He dashed to the left while Artemis back flipped to the right several times, glad she'd decided to wear a pair of high heels with a strap. She stopped with one knee on the ground and reloaded her small weapon. The crossbow was only capable of keeping a handful of bolts attached to its sides, so she had to make them count.

Despite her best efforts to find her date, Barbara was caught up in the mass of frenzied teenagers pushing for the double doors that would lead them to safety. As she stared over her shoulder hoping to catch sight of Dick, she saw a blonde girl pull out a crossbow. She watched in awe, feet never stopping, as the girl engaged their mutant classmate, her movements confident and sure. And amidst the chaos and confusion, Barbara Gordon had an epiphany. She would no longer stand for the terrors that threatened Gotham City on a regular basis. If the girl with the crossbow could fight back, so could she. She refused to be helpless, to do nothing but run away. From now on, Barbara was going to help protect her city, and she knew exactly how she was going to do it. She was sure the dynamic duo wouldn't mind sharing some of the spotlight. As she was forced through the doors by the tide of people, she lost sight of the crossbow wielding blonde. But it didn't matter; she'd seen enough to choose a new path.

The gym was in disarray, students continuing to scramble in fear as a techno beat still pumped from the speakers, the DJ having abandoned his equipment in favor of his own safety. Unable to follow Wally's fast pace, Evan charged at Artemis. Undeterred, she shot another bolt. Its smooth tip hit her date's chest and exploded on contact, releasing a foam that instantly started to harden around him. It did nothing to slow him, however. It cracked off in chunks as he drew closer, small tremors coursing through the ground with each step he took. She hurried to reload her bow. Evan was almost on top of her when Wally barreled into his beastly form from the side. The hit caused Evan to stumble a few steps but he remained upright. Wally shook his head, trying to clear it, the collision seeming to do him more harm than his opponent due to the size difference and lack of speed he could reach within the gym. Before the speedster could regain his bearings, Evan slammed into him in return, sending the redhead flying through the air. From his trajectory, it was clear he was going to crash through one of the glass doors along the southern wall. Artemis quickly took aim and pulled the trigger of her crossbow. The arrow soared through the air and hit the window before Wally could. The glass shattered on impact and the speedster sailed through an empty pane instead much to her relief.

Her satisfaction was short lived as Evan swung his fist down towards her head, eyes bloodshot and filled with rage. She immediately dove out of the way, dropping her bow in the process. In a desperate attempt to subdue her date, Artemis kicked off the wall and sprang at him from behind. She wrapped her arms around his neck and managed to get him in a chokehold, hoping to cut off just enough oxygen to lay him out.

Her plan crumbled when Evan rammed his backside into the wall, smashing her between his muscled back and the bricks. A brutal cry ripped from Artemis's throat as all the air in her lungs was expelled in a rush.

Wally climbed back through the window, feet crunching on broken glass, hand to his head. His green eyes stopped on the arrow near his feet – bringing to light why he hadn't broken through the glass himself – before they swept over the deserted gym. Artemis was struggling with Evan. He saw the behemoth crush her against the wall yet again and this time her grip on his throat slackened. With a snarl, Evan grabbed the blonde's loose arms and chucked her over his shoulder as though she weighed nothing. She collided with a wooden table, breaking it in half in the process. Wally appeared by her in an instant and helped lift her from the splintered wood she was lying on.

"Are you okay?" He searched her dark eyes for signs of a concussion. She'd lost her butterfly mask and had a few scratches that matched the new tears in her dress, but she was conscious and her stormy blue eyes were alert.

"Don't worry about me! We can't let him escape!"

Evan was lumbering for the doors, his new size making him somewhat uncoordinated. The empty gym no longer held his interest.

"Use these."

Wally and Artemis whirled around to see Robin standing there as if he'd materialized out of thin air. He had three syringes held out for them to see. "They're tranquilizers. There's enough juice between the three of them to take down a buffalo."

"Dude, where have you been?" Wally demanded as he snatched one of the syringes from his friend and held it up to his face.

"I had to make sure my date and the other students were getting out. Plus, I radioed Batman."

Artemis picked up one of the two remaining syringes and stared at it. "Just stick and pump?" she asked.

"Just stick and pump."

"Then let's get this over with," she said as she rushed for Evan again, the other two right along with her.

The three teens dashed at the transformed boy from different angles hoping to overwhelm him. Wally came at him head on then abruptly shifted, ending up behind him. The needle sank into gray flesh and the speedster released the liquid it contained. Anger surging at the attack, Evan spun around faster than Wally anticipated. He lashed out and wrapped his meaty hand around Wally's torso. With a rough yank the redhead was pulled into the air, the pressure of Evan's grip making it difficult to breath. Evan howled in agitation when Artemis rammed her syringe into his side next. He managed to grab her with his other hand, fingers curling around her waist. He squeezed the two teens simultaneously, reminding Wally of his ordeal with Amazo, only this time Artemis wouldn't be coming to his aid as she was in the same predicament. Robin ran at his beastly classmate, the last syringe poised in his hand. When he got close, Evan swung his fist – Wally still trapped within it – at the younger boy, but Robin was too quick. He dropped down and deftly slid between Evan's legs, stabbing his enormous calf with the last tranquilizer as he passed through his wide stance. With the third tranquilizer circulating through his body, Evan lost his grip on Artemis and Wally and the two teens fell to the floor gasping, lungs burning. Evan stumbled to the side, eyes clouding over, before finally slumping to the ground.

"Finally," Wally wheezed as he rubbed his chest. "Maybe one of these days I'll actually come to this school for something other than a fight." He glanced over at Artemis, but her eyes were on Evan's ghastly form, a haunted look about them.

"I guess this means we didn't destroy all the Kobra Venom files after all," Robin thought out loud, eyes trained on the abnormality in front of them as his mind worked.

Artemis simply stared at Evan's deformed body, still not quite believing what had happened. Her dream of a normal evening had spiraled into a nightmare, culminating in the ruined life of an innocent boy. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind, but one stood out more than the others.

This was her fault.

**x x x **

**Mount Justice**

**October 15, 22:15 EDT**

Wally and Artemis trudged down one of the hallways in Mount Justice still wearing their ruined semi-formal attire. Wally had ditched the masquerade mask once they'd reached the base, no longer needing it, his tie eschew around his neck. With Megan and Conner still out enjoying their Homecoming dance, the place was filled with an eerie silence. Wally, Artemis, and Robin had just finished reporting to Batman, though Artemis had remained oddly silent. Wally had thought it strange that Batman hadn't asked for her account, but decided it wasn't worth dwelling on. Robin had stayed behind in the debriefing room with his mentor to go over a few finer details.

Wally glanced at his companion. She looked defeated, like a hollow shell. It was as though someone had taken a giant spoon and scooped out her spunk, her tenacity. It was disheartening.

Unable to take the silence anymore, he finally asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Her reply was curt and devoid of emotion. Her usual spark was gone, like it'd been completely snuffed out.

He reached out and grabbed her wrist. She stopped but she didn't look at him. "You just saw your boyfriend turned into a monster then had to fight him. There's no way you're fine after that. You wouldn't be human if you were."

Artemis was silent for a moment, as if contemplating his words. Then she said, "He wasn't my boyfriend, but he was my friend. And now his life's ruined."

"We don't know that."

Artemis finally looked at him, her sapphire orbs a flurry of emotions churning too fast for Wally to pin down. "He ingested Kobra Venom, Wally. I read the reports about the mission you guys did in Santa Presca. I know it's permanent."

"The League's been working on a cure since we discovered it. They'll find a way to reverse the effects, and in the meantime they'll take care of Evan. Just give them some time."

Artemis shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

She tried to move forward again but the grip he'd maintained on her wrist tightened and she was pulled back a step instead. "Well I do. I saw that person talking to you right before your date transformed. It was Cheshire, wasn't it? She was responsible for doing that to him."

Artemis couldn't hide the surprise on her face and it only helped to confirm Wally's suspicions.

"Out of everyone on this team, she's specifically targeting you. Rob had a hunch she might try something tonight and asked me to hang out in the background as back up. That's why I was there. What we don't understand is what _she_ was doing there. Why is she so interested in you?"

"You and Robin are discussing my private life behind my back now?" Artemis snapped, anger seeping into her grey eyes.

"What else are we suppose to do! Something serious is going on and you won't tell us anything!"

"Because it doesn't concern you!"

"How can you say that?" Wally shouted, his cheeks growing red from frustration. "We're all on the same team. Why don't you trust us?"

"It's not about trust; it's about needlessly putting others in danger!" Artemis softened her voice. "Evan was only my Homecoming date and look at what happened to him just because he associated with me. The Team has become the family I never had, if something like that happened to one of you . . ." the gentle look in her eyes was replaced by a hard, determined glint. "I can't risk it. I won't."

She pulled her wrist from Wally's grasp, wanting nothing more than to leave, but her freedom was short lived. With a speed that was only natural to him, he backed her up against the closest wall, hands around her biceps to hold her there, determined to continue the conversation.

"You're so worried about what could happen to us, but what about you? Did you ever stop to think what losing you would do to us?"

"You guys will find a way to manage. If you really need an archer you know Red Arrow will help," she explained logically.

"Don't you dare act like you're expendable just because we know of another archer!" Wally cried in exasperation. Could she really think her position on the team only came down to the value of her abilities? If she did she was sadly mistaken. It was so much more than that now, especially for him. But the look in her eyes told him she truly believed she was replaceable, and it made his heart ache. How could she value her own life so little? "It's not just about your skill; it's about who you are. Red Arrow's great, but he's not you. We want_ you_ . . . I want you," he whispered honestly, voice throaty, his hand moving from her arm to her cheek, cupping it gently.

Her eyes widened in astonishment at his words, her glossy pink lips parting to let out a startled gasp, drawing his lidded gaze. Caught up in the argument, he hadn't realized how close he'd gotten to her. His face was so near to hers he could smell the strawberry flavored lip gloss she currently wore. The scent was intoxicating, and suddenly, he didn't want to smell it, he wanted to taste it, he _needed_ to taste it. The feeling came on so strong he could do little more than act on it.

He leaned in a little closer, nose brushing against hers, eyes dark with unconcealed desire, and Artemis shivered involuntarily, her own eyes closing slightly in response.

"You weren't supposed to care so much," she managed to say, voice breathy with anticipation and a hint of panic.

"I didn't expect to," he murmured in return as his lips touched hers.

It was gentle and chaste for only a moment before it exploded into something hot and intense. The kiss was akin to a loaded gun whose trigger had finally been pulled. It was a whirlwind of pent up frustration, fear, attraction, and longing. The concupiscence was so strong it threatened to overwhelm the pair. The hand Wally had on Artemis's cheek found its way into the soft curls of her hair as his other hand slid down her side, stopping on the exposed skin at her hip. She felt her skin ignite at the contact and her hands gripped his shoulders, fisting the fabric of his dress shirt. No matter how many times his tongue glided over hers it was never enough. It was like a hunger that he couldn't satisfy. Her back was still flush with the wall, and he pressed his body against hers, needing to feel more of her, to reassure himself that this was real, that she was real. Her nails dug into his skin through his shirt in response. A chill ran the length of his spine and he let out an involuntary groan.

"Artemis . . ."

It was barely a whisper, spoken against her lips, but the affection in his voice as he called her name was enough to break the moment.

Artemis's eyes sapped open as her hands slipped down to his chest, and she pushed, forcing him back. Caught off guard, he stumbled, eyes unfocused and clouded with an abundance of emotions. She saw lust, desire, elation, and something else too precious for her to deal with.

"You can't do that. You just . . . you just can't," she whispered, voice laced with regret. She slid past him and hurried down the corridor, unable to handle what had just happened.

Wally was left standing alone in the hallway. He was too stunned by how much that kiss had meant to him and the feeling of loneliness that had washed over him when she broke away, to stop her.

_**To be continued . . . **_

**A/N:** So, how was Homecoming? Exactly as you pictured it or did some of the events surprise you? I figured everyone would guess Wally would be there somehow, but that Evan ingesting Kobra Venom and attacking the Team wouldn't have been expected. Either way I hope it was worth the wait and that you all enjoyed it, especially the last scene. I know a lot of you have been waiting for that ;) After splitting this from chapter 10, I ended up make the fight scene more elaborate. I really hope it was written well enough since describing action scenes is not my strongest ability (as previously stated). The scene with Megan and Conner was something I added as well. I didn't bother at first but then I figured I should have something about them. I'm not really a SuperMartian fan (I don't mind them or anything, just kind of indifferent) so I hope I did them justice (no pun intended lol).

The bit about Barbara deciding to fight crime was just a nod to her character (I thought it'd be cool if this event is what triggered her decision to becoming Batgirl since she was there and all). I'm not intending to actually utilize her in this story, so sorry if any one got excited. Finally, the song lyrics used are "Glad You Came" by The Wanted. I think that song describes Wally's feelings for Artemis so perfectly, even in canon :)

Anyway, please let me know what you thought about this chapter if you can (particularly the action and the Spitfire moments), I'd love some feedback on this one. Enjoy the Young Justice season 1 finale (finally!) this Saturday! I know I will :)

_**SakuraJade**_


	12. A Standalone Complex

**A/N:** So, yeah, I enjoyed the season 1 finale but so far I have not been too happy with season 2. The 5 yr time skip was stupid and I hate that they added so many new characters then didn't even tell us/show us HOW they ended up on the Team. However, I was SO happy when they finally showed Wally and Artemis in today's episode (S2ep4 Salvage)! That's been driving me crazy! I was so worried Artemis was dead :( I'm still disappointed that it doesn't look like our fav Spitfire couple will be utilized much if at all this season, but I'll gladly take the fact that they are safe and happily attending college/living together over nothing. Wally looked exactly the same lol but Artemis got even prettier :)

Okay, I'm done ranting lol Anyway, I was surprised by the lack of comments on the kiss last chapter considering everyone had been waiting for it. I totally agonized over the writing for that scene, so I really appreciate those who took a moment to leave their thoughts on it. I can't believe TW is over 200 reviews! So exciting! 50 more and it will break my record :)

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice, DC Comics, Warner Brothers, and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

Rated T for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

_Italics _mean thoughts

"_Italics within quotes_" mean telepathy

_The greatest Lie is the one you tell yourself . . . _

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 12: A Standalone Complex_

**Gotham Academy**

**October 18, 14:48 EDT**

"The battle with the largest number of causalities throughout the entirety of the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg is considered . . ."

Artemis's American history teacher droned on but she paid little attention to what was being said. It was Tuesday, but her mind continued to reflect on Saturday. She absentmindedly placed two of her fingertips to her lips, remembering the feel of Wally's against her own. It wasn't her first kiss by any means, but it was the only one that took her breath away. It'd been powerful and hot, like a bolt of lightning, and it'd struck her very core. She felt her pulse quicken just thinking about it.

It was devastating.

This wasn't supposed to happen; it wasn't part of the plan. Of all the people on the Team, she'd originally thought that Wally would be the least of her worries. He'd regarded her with such disdain when she first joined up that she immediately wrote off the possibility of him becoming attached to her. Now, it seemed like he'd come to care for her more than anyone else on the Team; more than anyone else ever had, period. She didn't really know how to process that. Worse yet was that _she _had become attached to him. She cared about all of her teammates, was willing to lay her life down for any of them, but Wally . . . well, she didn't really know what to think. She just knew it was different with him.

Artemis let out a disheartened sigh and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. She felt like she was tight rope walking and a gentle breeze was all it'd take to knock her off. And when it did she was going to fall _hard._ She couldn't let that happen. No matter how caring Wally got, no matter what she saw reflected in his virile green orbs after he kissed her, she could not fall in love with him. The kiss was just that: simply a kiss, nothing more. And even though that was a complete lie, she figured if she told herself that enough times, it'd eventually be the truth.

A sharp knock at the door brought her attention back to her last period of the day. A male student walked in, handed the teacher a yellow slip of paper, then let himself out just as quickly. The teacher scanned the note before looking up, her eyes landing on Artemis.

"Ms. Crock, please see the headmaster after class," she ordered before delving right back into her lecture as though she'd never been interrupted.

Artemis dropped her head onto the desk with a groan.

**x x x **

As soon as the bell rang, Artemis collected her things and made her way to the main office. The elderly secretary led her down a back hall that ended at the headmaster's office. She knocked once before pushing the door open a crack.

"Headmaster Berke? Ms. Crock is here to see you."

"Send her in, Deloris," Artemis heard him say.

Deloris turned to her with a smile. "The headmaster will see you now."

Artemis walked in, the door shutting behind her. A middle aged man with black hair that was just beginning to grey sat behind a massive desk made of oak.

"Please, have a seat," he said, motioning to one of the two chairs stationed across his desk.

Artemis did as she was instructed. She waited for him to speak, but he continued to silently stare at her, fingers laced in front of his chin. Growing increasingly uncomfortable under his sharp gaze, Artemis finally spoke.

"Well? Are you gonna tell me why I was called in here?" she asked bluntly. She didn't care if it was rude. The headmaster had been less than welcoming when she enrolled.

"I summoned you here," he began; the slight accent he had making him sounding like the elitist snob she knew he was, "to discuss your involvement in the Homecoming fiasco Saturday evening."

Artemis barely managed to keep her face impassive. "I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest defensively.

The headmaster picked up a remote that had been sitting on the desk and aimed it at a flat screen tv mounted on the wall. "Oh, but you do." He pressed a button and the screen immediately buzzed to life, displaying footage from the dance Saturday night. "I had security cameras installed after the gym was vandalized back in August," he explained, unaware that Artemis knew exactly what he was talking about since she'd technically been present that time too.

She watched as Evan smashed her between his back and the wall before he proceeded to toss her over his shoulder and into a table. Wally appeared on the screen a split second later, and as he helped her up, Artemis felt her stomach drop. Her masquerade mask was missing, her face clearly exposed.

"And there's your pretty face," Headmaster Berke said with a triumphant grin. "You put up quite a fight, didn't you? I don't suppose you'll tell me what exactly happened?" Artemis wordlessly stared at him, her face a mask of neutrality. "Or the identities of the two boys who'd been with you?" When she still didn't speak he said, "I figured as much." His oversized chair groaned as he rose from it. He languidly paced behind Artemis as he spoke. "No matter. I still have more than enough material to expel you, possibly get you a stint in juvenile hall for causing so much damage."

Artemis clenched her fists in anger but remained quiet, keeping her gaze on his now empty chair. What could she really say?

"Of course," he went on, "it doesn't have to come to that." He stopped directly behind her, his hands coming to rest firmly on her shoulders.

Artemis's level of discomfort shot up exponentially at the unwanted contact.

"I'm sure we can find some . . . other way for you to pay for the damages . . ." he trailed his hands down her arms suggestively and Artemis went ridged in response. "After all, girls from your side of town are usually pretty _mature_ for their age. And with a figure like yours, well, I'll bet you have plenty of _experience_ . . ."

Artemis bolted straight up and whirled around, eyes crackling with rage. Before another word was spoken, she had the headmaster bent over his desk face first, his right arm twisted behind his back. If she applied any more pressure his shoulder would pop from its socket.

"I should snap your arm in two for touching me," she growled.

"If you do, you'd just be proving me right, that you were nothing but worthless trash all along," Headmaster Berke ground out against the pain shooting through his arm.

"Go fuck yourself."

Artemis shoved him away and he slid from the desk to the floor, clutching his throbbing arm to his chest. She stalked to the door and yanked it open.

"It doesn't matter where you go or what you do, it'll never change where you come from. You'll never amount to anything," he taunted.

"Don't bother expelling me, I quit." She stepped through the door and slammed it shut.

The hallways were mostly deserted as she rushed for the exit. She couldn't believe she'd just been sexually harassed by the headmaster of an elite private school. As if she didn't have enough problems. It was like some otherworldly force wouldn't let her catch a break. She turned the last corner to see Dick heading her way.

"There you are. I've been looking all over for you. Computer club was cancelled so I can give you a ride home," he said with a smile, but his smile morphed into a frown when she blew right past him.

"Hey, wait up!" he called after her, rushing to catch up. He immediately realized something was wrong from the way she was carrying herself. She was livid. "What's wrong?"

"I'm done."

"Done with what?"

"This place, these people, all of it. I'm going back to Gotham North."

Dick stopped in his tracks, her words catching him by surprise. "Say what?!" he questioned as he scurried after her retreating form.

**x x x **

**Mount Justice**

**October 18, 17:02 EDT**

"Recogonized, Kid Flash, B03."

Wally walked out of the zeta tube. As the whirling of the mechanism died down, two distinct voices carried from down the hall, raising in volume as he grew closer.

"Leave it alone, Robin!"

"No! What he did was wrong! You shouldn't have to leave school because of the incident at Homecoming _or_ the fact that the headmaster is a sleazy perv!"

"I never wanted to go to the academy in the first place."

Wally reached the common room where Robin and Artemis were already suited up for practice. They were standing across from each other in front of the green sofa, locked in a heated debate.

"What's going on?" he asked as he approached the two non-meta heroes. Artemis turned to look at the intrusion. A pained look filtered over her features when her eyes landed on him. She didn't look happy to see him and it made his heart clench unexpectedly.

"Nothing," she answered, turning back to the Boy Wonder.

"Doesn't sound like nothing."

"It's not," Robin supplied. "After our fight with Amazo, the headmaster apparently installed cameras in the gym. He saw Artemis's face when we were trying to stop Evan. He knows she was involved and he threatened to expel her for the damages."

It only took a second for Wally to think back to Saturday night. He remembered helping Artemis up after Evan threw her into a table. She'd been okay, but her sequined butterfly mask had been missing, knocked off from the force of the collision. They'd been too busy dealing with Evan to even think about it then.

"Shit," was all Wally could utter.

"That's not even the worst of it."

"Robin," Artemis warned, not wanting him to continue.

He carried on, undeterred by her threatening tone. "He made a pass at her."

"When you say 'pass'-"

"He basically offered to drop the expulsion and keep her involvement a secret if she would sleep with him."

"Wally's eyes looked ready to pop out of their sockets. "What the hell kind of school are you two attending!?" he asked incredulously. He could feel his face flushing in anger, and he turned his gaze on Artemis. "Did he touch you?"

"I can take ca-"

"Did. He. Touch. You." Wally reiterated, punctuating each word with venom. He hadn't known he could sound so malicious. From the looks on his teammates' faces, neither did they.

"He only touched my arms and then I almost broke one of his," Artemis said pointedly.

"He still completely crossed a line. We need to-"

"We don't _need_ to do anything!" Artemis exclaimed, cutting Robin off. "I'm just gonna transfer back to Gotham North. Case closed."

"But you deserve to go to a better school than that."

"It doesn't matter; it's my word against his. Nobody's going to believe a kid from the slums over some successful rich guy."

"They would if you had a successful, rich guy backing you. Batman would make sure you weren't punished for something that wasn't your fault-"

"But it was my fault!" Artemis cried. "Don't you get that?"

"Artemis," Wally began.

"Just drop it, both of you. This is my problem, I'll deal with it. Both of you need to stop poking around where you shouldn't." She turned on her heel and stormed out in a huff.

Wally knew from her tone that she wasn't just talking about the incident with the Gotham Academy headmaster. One glance at Robin and he was sure the younger boy got the same impression.

"Man does she have a standalone complex," Robin complained.

"We aren't really gonna drop this, are we?" Wally questioned.

"Nope."

"Glad we're on the same page," the speedster replied before he dashed after the blonde. "Artemis, wait!" he called after her as he approached her retreating figure.

"Wally, I swear to God-" she whirled around to face him, but he interrupted her.

"We need to talk about what happened on Saturday. Between us, I mean."

Artemis looked away. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Uh, yeah there is. We kissed."

"We shouldn't have."

"Yeah, well we did." Wally took a step closer. "And don't even try telling me it meant nothing."

"It didn't," Artemis replied, still refusing to look at him.

Wally shook his head. "That's a lie." He reached out and took hold of her chin, forcing her dark gaze to meet his lighter one. "There's no way you didn't feel what I did."

"It doesn't matter what I felt. It was a mistake," she stated, voice cold and unfeeling.

"Don't say that."

Artemis pulled her face from his grip and Wally let his now empty fingers drop limply to his side. She backed away a step. "It shouldn't have happened and it won't happen again."

The redhead stepped towards her again, wanting to reclose the distance she created, but she held her hand up palm out to stop him.

"Don't, please. It's for your own good," she pleaded, her eyes begging him to understand.

He moved forward again anyway, his chest pressing against the palm of her outstretched hand, warmth spreading through his skin at the contact.

"Why? Because of what happened to Evan? Because the Shadows are targeting you?" He covered her small hand with his own larger one. "I don't care if you think being involved with you is risky. You're worth it."

A look of anguish entered Artemis's eyes and she removed her hand from beneath Wally's. "Trust me I'm not." She turned away from him. "Just stay away from me."

She walked out of the room, her impossibly long ponytail trailing behind her. Wally sighed and ran a hand through his messy red locks. Having a crush on Megan had been a lot easier than having one on Artemis.

"What was all that about?"

Wally jumped and spun around to see Robin standing there.

"How much did you hear?" he demanded.

Robin shrugged. "Enough to know something's going on between you and Artemis."

"Man, I hate it when you do the ninja thing," Wally grumbled.

"So?" Robin asked expectantly. "You know I'll find out eventually one way or another."

Wally let out another sigh. "Fine. Saturday night, after we left the briefing room, we maybe, sorta, kinda . . . kissed."

Even with his domino mask hiding his blue eyes, Wally could tell his friend was surprised.

"You kissed Artemis and you're actually alive to talk about it?"

Wally ignored Robin's joke. "It wasn't just a kiss. It was . . . I don't even know how to explain it. It was definitely the most amazing kiss I've ever had."

"And that puts it at the top of a list of, what, two?" Robin teased. Wally glared at the younger boy. "So where does that leave you two?"

"No where apparently," he replied, voice full of disappointment.

Robin raised a confused eyebrow, but Wally didn't elaborate. Instead he said, "We need to get to the training room for practice."

He walked down the hall and Robin followed, his worried gaze trained on his best friend's back. He knew Wally had been nursing a crush on the blonde for some time now. He knew before the speedster himself realized it. But the look in Wally's eyes when he talked about kissing Artemis told Robin his friend was harboring more than a simple crush for the archer now, and that made him worry. He knew Artemis was involved in something dangerous, that much was certain. And if something happened to her, what would that do to Wally?

Robin hoped he never had to find out, for both their sakes.

**x x x **

**Infinity Island**

**October 18, 20:00 ECT**

Artemis walked down a desolate hallway in the largest building on Infinity Island, her sister silently leading the way. Today she was meeting with _him._ Her skin crawled just thinking about the leader of the Shadows. She hadn't yet experienced the discomfort of being in the Demon Head's presence. That was about to change though. She had information and he wanted it firsthand. The two siblings rounded a corner and a pair of wide ornate wooden doors stood before them. A pretty young woman with long, dark hair in a low ponytail similar to Artemis's was waiting in front of them. She wore a tight full body suit of black and green and looked to be a mix of Arabic and Asian descent. Jade approached the other woman.

"Artemis is here, as requested."

The woman moved aside. "Enter," was her simple order. Jade moved forward, but was halted by an outward palm. "Not you. Only her," the woman said, looking at the blonde.

"Whatever you say, Talia."

Jade looked back at her sister and jerked her head towards the looming doors. Artemis moved forward and Talia ushered her in, closing the door once they'd entered. The room was large and filled with expensive looking black lacquer furniture. Deep red and gold curtains were draped around the room. An older gentleman, hair equal parts grey and black, sat in a big red arm chair across the room indulging in a cup of what Artemis could only assume was tea based on the handless mug he held to his lips, which were outlined in a long white mustache. Talia strode further into the room, feet soundlessly gliding over the mahogany wood floor, and addressed the man in the chair.

"Father, the archer is here to see you," she informed him, head bowed in respect.

The man set his mug down on a small table next to his chair and rose from his seat, the green robe-like cape he wore rustling with the movement. Ra's al Ghul, leader of the League of Shadows, approached Artemis, eyes scrutinizing her from head to toe.

"So you're the young one we have on the inside. My apologies for not meeting with you when you first joined up. I've been rather busy," he said vaguely. He circled her slowly and Artemis stood stock still. "I've heard all about your special gift from your father." Ra's stopped directly behind her. "Show me," he ordered.

Artemis wordlessly lifted her low ponytail, revealing the faded butterfly that adorned the base of her neck.

"Fascinating . . ." he whispered and a chill oozed down her spine as his rough fingers traced along the intricate lines. "I need my Lazarus pools to rise from the dead and I have to use them shortly after dying. With this mark you can die anywhere for any amount of time and still resurrect. How convenient."

It wasn't the word Artemis would have used.

"It is my theory that this mark somehow ties your soul to your body, while my method calls my soul back from the underworld," he mused out loud. "But that's neither here nor there," he said and Artemis felt her body sag in relief when he finally pulled his fingers away.

"Down to business," Ra's said. "What intel have you gathered?"

Artemis took a deep breath and steeled herself for what she was about say. "I know the civilian alias of both Batman and Robin."

"Do you now?" he asked, his expression filled with amusement. Neither he nor his daughter looked particularly excited, however. "Well?"

Artemis swallowed, this was it. "Batman is Gotham City's multi-millionaire business tycoon Bruce Wayne. Robin is his ward, Richard Grayson."

"We already know," Talia revealed, a hint of irritation in her voice.

Artemis did her best to look surprised.

"Yes, we do," Ra's confirmed. "However, the fact that you managed to uncover that is a most impressive feat. Excellent work. Continue your attempt to damask the members of the Justice League, but do not share their identities with anyone but myself and my daughter. I trust you can find your way out?"

She gave a swift nod.

"Then you're dismissed," he said with a flourish of his hand.

Artemis had to make a conscious effort to keep herself from breaking into a sprint as she casually walked to the door. She couldn't get out of there soon enough. As soon as the heavy wooden door clicked shut behind her she let out the breath she'd been holding, relieved that Batman's plan seemed to have worked.

_**2 hours earlier . . . **_

_**Mount Justice**_

_**October 18, 16:16 EDT**_

_With practice over for the day, Artemis gathered her things and headed to the briefing room. Batman was already waiting to meet with her._

_The door was hardly shut when Artemis spoke. "The Shadows have requested my presence at Infinity Island for an update on my progress tonight. They're gonna be pissed that I've got nothing useful to tell them. I'm worried they're going to become suspicious."_

_Batman was silent for a moment, contemplating the situation. Finally he said, "Tell them my identity. Robin's too."_

_Artemis's deep, bluish grey eyes widened in shock. "Are you crazy? I can't do that."_

"_Yes you can. The leader of the Shadows, Ra's al Ghul, already knows. His daughter Taila does as well." __**(1)**_

_Curiosity welled in Artemis. "What about the other members of the Shadows?"_

_Batman shook his head. "He doesn't want others to know."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because there's power in being privy to knowledge that other's don't have access to. Knowing him, any identities that you uncover will be for his ears only, so we won't have to worry about anyone else learning about Robin or myself, and it will make it look as though you really are making progress as their mole," he explained._

_Artemis looked uncertain but agreed to do as the Dark Knight instructed._

_**x x x **_

Finally collecting herself, Artemis scurried down the hallway, eager to get out of the veritable den of evil she was currently in. She came across a T intersection. Looking left then right, she sighed in relief when she saw the exit at end of the hallway on her right. She hurried in that direction.

"I thought you were on board!"

The shout made her jump and she reflexively pressed her body against the wall. Down the hall in the opposite direction, she could see a sliver of light coming from a door that was ajar. She was torn between leaving and listening. Her curiosity outweighed her fear and she slinked closer, purposely staying against the wall.

"You know I'm all about this, I live for chaos, but even my techno sorcery can't power it solo."

Artemis recognized that whiny voice. She moved just close enough to see whatever was directly in front of the crack. She wasn't disappointed. Klarion the Witch Boy, owner of the familiar voice, was standing there, his creepy cat sitting on his shoulders. Across from him was Lex Luthor, owner of the first voice she'd heard. She couldn't fathom for the life of her what the two were doing at the Shadows' base.

Klarion continued. "You want it to run? Then stock up on diamonds. Perfect ones," he ordered, sounding like a spoiled brat.

"Oh, you'll get your diamonds," a female voice, deep and commanding, said from a corner of the room that Artemis couldn't see.

"We wouldn't even need diamonds if you hadn't let those sidekicks get away with the Helmet of Fate," Luthor complained.

"It was indeed a setback, but it does not matter," the female said. "It will not stop the Light."

_The Light? _Artemis blinked in confusion. She wanted to keep listening, but she was beginning to feel like she was pushing her luck, so she quietly started to walk backwards, eyes trained on the cracked door.

"You lost?"

She instantly froze, mid-step. Pivoting around on one heel she locked eyes with a familiar face. The person in front of her widened his eyes in surprise.

"Artemis?"

"C-Cameron. Uh, wha-what are you doing here? I would have thought you'd be in Belle Reve by now," she stuttered, trying to act surprised to see him when she was really relived it wasn't someone more important. **(2)**

"Well, that was the plan, but it changed."

"Why?"

"The higher ups realized they needed to keep at least one ice user on hand."

"For what?" Artemis asked, trying to get as much information out of the gullible teen as she could.

Cameron shook his head. "I don't know yet. All I know is that they originally wanted all of the ice users in Belle Reve to orchestrate a takeover, which was why I petitioned to be tried as an adult."

Artemis's eyes widened in realization. "That's why all the ice villains attacked at the same time on Independence Day. You all wanted to get arrested."

He nodded. "I was supposed to join them, but they sent Cheshire and Sportsmaster to bust me out when I was in route to Belle Reve. I've been helping the Shadows ever since," he explained. "I even went on a mission with Cheshire to Chicago to gather some data on cutting edge technology." He gave a cruel laugh. "The sidekicks showed up and we owned them."

Artemis felt anger rising at his words, but she pushed it back down. She needed to keep her cool.

"So, what are you doing here?"

"The Shadows broke me out too," she lied. "I'm working for them now as well."

"Doesn't surprise me considering who your family is."

_Don't remind me, _Artemis thought bitterly. "You said the 'higher ups' needed you for something. Who are they? Who's pulling the strings in all this?"

Cameron shrugged. "Beats me. I'm not told much."

Artemis sighed, knowing she'd learned all she was going to from her old friend. "Same here."

He suddenly sidled up to her and put his arm around her.

"That's pretty cool we're working together though. It's just like old times," he said as his eyes drank in her slim figure and curves.

Artemis glared. "I told you not to be gross," she reminded him as she pushed his arm off her shoulders and headed for the exit.

"Oh yeah, she wants me," Cameron said to himself as he followed after her.

_**To be continued . . . **_

**(1)** In issue 11 of the tie-in comic Robin reveals in his case files (basically his case files are just a way to give the reader info without trying to work it into conversation between two characters) that Ra's al Ghul is the only one of Batman's enemies to know their secret identities (he doesn't elaborate as to how).

**(2) **In issue 13 of the tie-in comic, Artemis is placed under arrest as a ruse to have her encounter Icicle Jr., who is being detained in a Star City prison for his involvement in the July 4th ice attack, in the hope that she can get some intel out of him based on the fact that they know each other through their fathers. When she says she's going to end up in juvenile hall, he tells her to petition to be tried as an adult (which is what he's doing). She says with her family background she'll end up in Belle Reve for sure (which would be worse than juvey) and he just smiles, indicating that that's the goal.

**A/N: **So, no action in this chapter, but I hope the drama, the angsty Spitfire scene, and the plot revelations made for a good enough update :) If you can spare a moment, leave me your thoughts, I love reading them!

_**SakuraJade**_


	13. In Harm's Way

**A/N: **Sorry for the time between updates. Time is just not on my side right now. I never seem to have enough of it :( So is anybody else still reeling from Depths? B/c I am! I can't believe everything that went down! Artemis was awesome and the Spitfire was so cute :) Definitely renewed my faith in the series.

Anyway, I can't believe how much this story has evolved, both from the knowledge of how the entirety of first season goes (which wasn't released when I started this), and from reviews I've received. This is one of those chapters that wasn't originally planned, but came about from a later episode as well as comments left in reviews.** HeyI'mTalkingToYou** made mention of my lack of use of Kaldur and Conner a while back, I've since stepped up my use of Conner slightly but Kal still hasn't had much screen time, so this is a shout out to her (that will continue into the next chapter). The first scene was inspired by something **ovp** said in a review, so hats off to her as well!

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice. DC Comics, Warner Brothers, and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

**Rated T** for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

_Italics _mean thoughts

"_Italics within quotes_" mean telepathy

_It is easier to Lie with a gesture than a word . . ._

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 13: In Harm's Way_

**Gotham Academy**

**October 21, 7:01 EDT**

Headmaster Berke opened the door to his office, juggling a stack of papers and his briefcase. He flipped on the lights and made a beeline for his desk but stopped dead with a startled cry when his enormous chair moved. It slowly swiveled around revealing the serious face of the infamous Bruce Wayne.

"Mr. Wayne. What, uh, what are you doing in my office?" he asked, voice both surprised and perturbed at seeing one of the academy's most prestigious and generous donors in his spot.

"I came to talk about your impending resignation."

Confusion welled in the headmaster's eyes as he dumped his things on top of the desk. "What are you talking about? I'm not resigning."

"Oh yes you are, effective immediately in fact." Bruce rose from the seat and came around the side of the desk to stand toe-to-toe with the headmaster. "I heard about your inappropriate behavior toward one of the students here on my scholarship, and I don't take kindly to my scholarship students being mistreated in any way."

"You can't seriously believe a kid like that!" Headmaster Berke cried in outrage. "Whatever that little tart said was a lie!"

The headmaster found Bruce's fists around his collar faster than he could blink. "The only reason you're not already in a jail cell is because the student in question didn't want to waste her time with you." Bruce released the collar of the headmaster's dress shirt and moved for the door. "I expect you gone by the start of next week. If you aren't I'll be back, and I can guarantee that confrontation will make this one look pleasant."

**x x x **

**Mount Justice**

**October 22, 14:39 EDT**

"You're sure?"

Artemis gave Batman an indignant look, though she had a feeling it wasn't as off putting in her civvies. "I know what I saw. That bratty Lord of Chaos or whatever Kent Nelson called him, and Lex Luthor were at Infinity Island arguing," she insisted. "Klarion said they needed diamonds, good ones, to make something run, and Luthor said they wouldn't have needed diamonds if Klarion hadn't lost the Helmet of Fate to us. There was a third person with them, a woman from the sound of it, I couldn't see her. She said it was a set back, but that it wouldn't stop 'The Light'," Artemis made air quotes with her fingers. "Any idea who, or what, that is?"

Batman was silent for a moment, then he said, "It sounds like the Shadows are only a gateway to something much bigger, something Klarion and Luthor are a part of, among others I'm sure."

Artemis wrapped her arms around herself. "This is bad, isn't it?"

The Dark Knight gave a solemn nod. "I'll alert the League to keep an eye on the museums harboring the greatest diamond collections."

"There's one more thing. Junior also mentioned that he was originally supposed to end up in Belle Reve with the rest of the ice villains for the joint ice attack on July 4th in order to orchestrate a takeover. That's why they all attacked on the same day, and that's why he petitioned to be tried as an adult."

"So what's he doing at Infinity Island with the Shadows then?"

Artemis shook her head. "Apparently the guys pulling the strings in all this realized they would need an ice user on the outside for something, so they sent Sportsmaster and Cheshire to break him out of the prison caravan before it could get him to Belle Reve. Junior didn't know what they need him for though. He didn't seem to know why they wanted to take over Belle Reve either."

Batman nodded. "I'll begin investigating the happenings at Belle Reve immediately, see if we can't figure out why Belle Reve was of strategic importance." Artemis turned to leave, assuming the meeting was over, but Batman's voice stopped her."We have one more matter to discuss." She turned back to face him. "It's about your enrollment at Gotham Academy."

Artemis cringed. "What about it?" she asked.

"Robin informed me of the troubling experience you had with a member of the staff."

_That little snitch! _she thought, anger building. "He wasn't supposed to say anything."

"No, you were. I understand your drive to handle things yourself. I probably understand more than most. This isn't solely about you though. There's no telling how many students have been sexually harassed by the headmaster, or how many more might be placed in the situation you found yourself in," he explained. "The headmaster has been dealt with. I expect you back at the Academy starting Monday._ Now_ you are free to leave."

Artemis gave a petulant huff, but said nothing further as she left the room. She stomped down the stone hall in irritation but stopped when she came across the souvenir room. On impulse she walked in and stopped in front of the shelving unit that was built into the wall. Her eyes landed on the kunai her sister had intended for Wally that she'd intercepted during their mission in Chicago. Robin had been smart enough to grab it so the poison coating it could be analyzed if Artemis's condition worsened. Afterward it'd been dumped here on the shelf for lack of anything better to do with it. Her eyes drifted to the next item and softened considerably when they landed on the crown Evan had been awarded as Homecoming king. She hadn't had the heart to leave it there, discarded on the cold gym floor like a piece of junk. So when a few League members came to collect Evan's unconscious form, she took the crown with her. Unsure what to do with it, she placed it in the souvenir room in remembrance of her short friendship with the sweet boy. Unable to look at it any longer, she turned her head away, and her eyes landed on the reason she walked in the room in the first place.

The Helmet of Fate.

She reached out, hesitating only a second, before she placed her hands around the mystical item and lifted it off the shelf. She stared at it, a distorted image of her face reflected back in the gleaming gold metal.

_Why was Klarion supposed to steal this? What were they going to use it for? _Artemis idly wondered as she turned it over in her hands cautiously.

"What are you doing? Don't touch that!"

Before she could turn to face whoever spoke, Wally appeared next to her in his civvies – already changed from practice – and yanked the helmet from her grasp. He deposited it back on the shelf.

"What's your problem?" she asked, irritated both by his intrusion and the feeling his presence had taken to invoking in her.

"Don't _ever _put that on," he ordered, his tone so serious it drained the agitation right out of the blonde.

"I wasn't gonna. I was just looking at it."

"Well don't even do that."

Artemis raised a calculating eyebrow at his odd behavior. "Why? What's the big deal? You put it on and you're fine."

"Yeah, well, if Mr. Nelson hadn't been there I-" he broke off abruptly.

"You what?" Artemis pushed.

She'd tried confronting him about his experience as Dr. Fate shortly after it'd happened, but her attempt had been a disaster. When they'd found Wally in the Tower of Fate after having been separated from him, he was sitting with a deceased Kent Nelson. The man had suffered a heart attack, and though Wally had tried to save him, he'd passed away. Artemis was used to death, having experienced it several times herself, but Wally . . . he'd looked somewhat traumatized. Even though she hadn't cared much for the speedster back then, she still felt kind of bad for him. Once back at the base, she'd approached him about his stint as Dr. Fate. Part of it was her innate compassion driving her to comfort him, but that wasn't the sole reason. He'd been so adamant about the non-existence of magic that, given her special ability, she couldn't help but take it personally. After all, her very existence was contingent on magic at this point. After he'd used the Helmet of Fate though, she was sure he'd have to acknowledge the reality of magic. Instead he'd blown off her concern with some bullshit answer about having been bio-scripted into being Dr. Fate temporarily. Irritated beyond belief, she stormed off wondering why she'd even bothered. After everything they'd been through together now, she thought his response might be different this time around. So she was disappointed when he looked away.

"Nothing. Just don't put it on," he said lamely. He wanted to talk to her about it. In fact, she was about the only person he wanted to talk to about the experience. For some reason, he felt like she'd understand, or at the very least, just listen quietly. But in the end he just couldn't. The knowledge that he could have been trapped in there for the rest of his life scared him too much to even think about, much less say out loud. Regardless of his inability to explain the specifics, he needed to make sure she didn't have any intention of putting that helmet on. He didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling that Dr. Fate wouldn't be as willing to relinquish Artemis as he had the speedster.

That thought scared him even more.

Artemis scoffed. "Fine," she replied, to Wally's relief, and moved for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Home. I don't have any more business here, and if you aren't going to tell me what really happened, then there's nothing left to talk about, is there?" she answered without looking at him.

"Oh like you have any right to be mad that I won't talk about it. You won't talk about anything!" he shot back.

She didn't respond this time and he let out a noise of frustration. When she disappeared through the door, Wally turned his glare back on the Helmet of Fate.

"Are you _sure_ Artemis is the girl for me?" he asked, as if the man trapped inside waiting to ascend could hear him. Only silence greeted him. "Maybe you _were_ senile," he grumbled before turning his back on the helmet and leaving the room.

Artemis made it to the common room before she crossed paths with another teammate. The Atlantean offered the blonde a warm smile.

"Heading home for the evening?" he questioned.

"Yeah," she returned half heartedly as she passed him by.

He stopped at the despondent tone in her voice and turned to look at her retreating form. "Artemis," he suddenly spoke.

She turned back to him, her expression puzzled. He licked his lips, clearly trying to decide how to say what he wanted. Finally he settled on, "The Team is here for you. I am here for you. If you need anything that is . . ."

Kaldur was more perceptive than she liked, but she couldn't begrudge his concern or his kindheartedness. She smiled fondly at her leader. "Yeah, I know."

He gave a firm nod of his head but said nothing more and Artemis continued on her way, the PC announced her departure a moment later.

**x x x **

**Gotham City**

**October 22, 20:59 EDT**

Artemis trudged down the hallway in the tiny apartment she shared with her mother. Between practice and the extra shift she'd picked up at work she was exhausted. She entered her already dark bedroom and dropped her backpack on the floor before falling onto the bed with a whoosh of air, not bothering to turn on the lights.

"Rough week?"

Her eyes snapped open and she sprang up from her bed, immediately dropping into a defensive stance. Her eyes landed on Jade – dressed in her Cheshire costume, mask sitting on the crown of her head – lazily sprawled out on her old bed and she swore, angry at herself for letting her guard down even in her own house.

"What the hell are_ you_ doing here?" Artemis whispered, not wanting to alert their mother to Jade's presence. "Come to vandalize the house again?"

"Nothing so entertaining I'm afraid. I've come to collect you for a mission."

Artemis's eyes widened in surprise. "B-but I'm already on a mission."

"Apparently you really impressed Ra's al Guhl when you met with him. It made his daughter Talia quite jealous," Jade said with a grin, clearly delighting in that fact. "Anyway, he wants to start utilizing you more." Cheshire rose from the bed and padded over to the backpack leaning against the wall by the door. She snatched it off the floor and tossed it at her sister. Artemis easily caught it. "So suit up little sister, we leave in 10."

**x x x**

**Mount Justice**

**October 22, 20:18 EDT**

"So? How do we look?" Megan asked as she and Conner walked into the common room together.

Kaldur, Robin, and Wally all turned to look over the back of the green couch they were sitting on. Megan was dressed in a tattered white dress and veil, her skin ashen with dark black makeup around her soft brown eyes. Conner was poorly wrapped in toilet paper.

"Nice," Robin said. "Zombie bride?"

Megan nodded, smiling brightly. "Yep. Conner's a mummy. Mal Duncan, a classmate of ours from school, is throwing a costume party for this thing called Halloween. I'm so excited!"

"I'm sure you two will have a wonderful time," Kaldur said with a smile.

Conner crossed his arms over his chest and pointedly looked away, clearly displaying his displeasure.

"Well, I will anyway," Megan replied sheepishly. "What are you guys up to tonight?"

"Nothing much, just gonna have a movie night," Wally replied.

"Okay well, have fun guys!" Megan exclaimed as she took Conner by the arm and led him out of the room.

Once Conner and Megan had departed, Kaldur cleared his throat in an attempt to start a new topic. "Do either of you know if Artemis had plans for tonight?"

"Nobody ever knows what Artemis is up to," Wally grumbled as he chomped down on a handful of popcorn.

"I'm . . . concerned about her," Kaldur confided.

Robin reached for the remote and muted the tv. "Why?"

Kaldur paused in his reply. He had yet to tell anyone that Sportsmaster alluded to a mole being on the Team when he'd fought the man in Taipei back in September. He'd thought about it a few times, but ultimately decided against it. Kaldur was well aware that Sportsmaster could have easily been trying to sow seeds of decent among the members of the Team. But there was also the chance that it was true. And if there was indeed a mole, the last thing the Atlantean wanted to do was alert the traitor that he knew of their existence. He was positive it wasn't Robin or Kid Flash, but he wasn't so sure about Conner, Megan, and Artemis. He didn't want to doubt them, but he didn't know them like he knew the two boys on the couch. Of the three newbies, his suspicions ran highest for Artemis. The archer had always been rather distant with the members of the Team. For a while it almost seemed like she was warming up to them. But recently she began to pull away again. Then there was the funhouse fire at the Happy Harbor Festival back in September. Artemis claimed the fire was a result of Cheshire toying with her for her inability to catch the assassin on her first mission. It hadn't escaped Kaldur's notice, however, that Artemis was in civilian garb when Cheshire supposedly attacked her.

Something didn't add up.

"Her presence has been spars around the cave lately. I noticed you two had been spending more time around her than the rest of us," he finally said, again deciding to keep the possibility of a spy to himself. "So I thought one of you might know the reason she's spent so little time here all week."

Robin and Wally glanced at each other, engaging in a silent conversation. Neither had mentioned their worries about the blonde and what she might be caught up in to anyone else on the Team so far. The look on each of their faces was a clear indication that they both planned to keep it between the two of them for now.

"We don't know," Robin said, his gaze flicking back to his leader. "She hasn't said anything to us." It wasn't exactly a lie.

"I see," Kaldur replied as Robin un-muted the t.v.

**x x x **

**Gotham City**

**October 22, 21:23 EDT**

Artemis found herself on the roof of the Gotham Museum of Natural History, her black uniform blending into the shadows. She thanked her lucky stars her uniform had been imbued with the stealth technology Wally and Kaldur had in theirs not too long ago. Jade was perched over a skylight a few feet away. She was currently dragging a sharp tool of some sort along the edges with one hand, while the other held a big suction cup in the middle of the glass. She silently watched her sister work as she thought about her current situation. She hadn't anticipated the Shadows wanting to utilize her for more than a spy at the moment. The last thing she wanted to do was help the Shadows, but if she didn't she'd completely compromise her cover. Worse still her mother might suffer for it. She'd been so caught off guard by Cheshire's surprise visit that she hadn't even been able to attempt to contact Batman.

"What are we even doing here?" Artemis finally whispered.

"I thought we'd check out the new exhibit on ancient Egypt," Cheshire responded sarcastically. "What do you think we're doing here?"

"Fine, what are we here to _steal_?" the blonde rephrased.

Cheshire simply smirked as she finished cutting the glass. With a tug the glass came up, stuck to the suction cup. She discarded it on the ground, pocketed her tools, and looked at Artemis expectantly.

With a sigh Artemis reached behind to her quiver and pulled out a steel tipped arrow with a cable attached to it. She took aim and shot the arrow into the roof near the skylight. It embedded itself with a heavy thunk. She gave a swift pull to make sure it was secure before she tossed the line down into the glassless window.

"Age before beauty," she quipped as she motioned to the skylight.

Jade gave her a dirty look before she lowered her mask and swiftly slide down the rope. Artemis followed suit. Once inside Cheshire made a beeline for the east wing.

"Seriously, what are we here for?" Artemis tried again as they came to a stop outside an exhibit. The sign above the doorway said 'Gemology Room.'

"Diamonds," Jade finally answered as she walked into the room.

Glass cases lined the room, each case displaying a specific type of gemstone. Artemis wasn't surprised they were here to pilfer diamonds thanks to what Klarion had said, though admittedly the diamond collection at the Gotham Museum of Natural History wasn't world renowned by any means. What did surprise her, however, was how Jade blew right by a case with a fist-sized diamond in it. Klarion had specifically said he didn't want "cheap" ones and it was common knowledge that the bigger the diamond, the more it's worth.

"Not that one," Cheshire spoke when she saw what Artemis was staring at.

"Why? We're here for diamonds, this one's huge. Why wouldn't we take it?"

"Size isn't the most important thing."

"How do you figure?" Artemis asked as she approached the case her sister stopped in front of.

"Because we only want amorphous diamonds," Cheshire responded. "Like this one."

Artemis raised an eyebrow, though it was hidden by her black mask. "amor-what?"

"Amorphous diamonds, they're man made."

"What does that matter?" Artemis pressed, digging for information that would be useful to the Justice League.

"Because it's what we were told to take," Cheshire snapped as she stuck the suction cup to the top of the glass cube that housed the large diamond and began to do the same thing she'd done to the skylight. She was halfway through when the alarm screeched to life overhead.

"What did you do!" the archer yelled over the noise.

"Please, like I'd screw something so simple up," her sister argued and Artemis could hear the glare in her voice.

The sound of shattering glass suddenly reached their ears from one of the rooms down the hall. "Great, someone else is here," Artemis groaned.

"Well, no point in doing this the hard way," Cheshire said with a shrug before she whipped out one of her sais and slammed the handled into the glass, busting it inward. She swiftly reached in and removed the diamond, shards of glass falling from it as she did so. She held it up for a moment and Artemis took a good look at it.

_It looks just like any other diamond, _she thought.

A menacing chuckle suddenly filled the room and the sisters spun to face their guest. Standing in the doorway was a tall man with long, loose brown hair, green eyes, and pale white skin, who looked to be in his late teens. He wore a pair of dark blue jeans and an open grey trench coat that exposed his shoulders, his chest bare underneath. The most distinguishable thing about the man, however, was the four red claw-like scars that ran over his left eye.

"And you are?" Cheshire asked.

"Harm did not expect its to play with. What a pleasant surprise for Harm," the man said as he stalked towards them, dragging the tip of a large sword along the ground as he went. "Killing these its will be a good way for Harm to pass the time."

"We get it, your name is Harm," Artemis said flatly, already irritated by his idiosyncratic speech pattern.

The man offered a sadistic smile but no verbal reply.

"Well little sis, I'll leave you to handle this."

Artemis turned to her sister, but she was no longer there. She quickly whirled around to see Jade heading for the exit on the opposite side.

"Are you freaking kidding me!" Artemis cried but her sister slipped out the doorway without a response.

With an agitated growl, Artemis spun back around to confront the other intruder only to find herself face-to-face with the man, his sword embedded in her chest. Her black costume instantly reverted back to green, the sword having severed the stealth technology contained in the arrow that was dead center on her chest. Her eyes widen and she choked in pain as the tip of the blade broke through her back.

"Such a foolish it, turning its back on Harm like that," he said, with a cruel laugh. He watched the life drain from her eyes as he withdrew his sword. Artemis fell to her knees, that sadistic smile the last thing she saw.

_**To be continued . . . **_

**A/N: **I'm sure most of you realized Harm was going to make an appearance in this chapter based on the title :) I know the date's off and that the ep "Secrets" takes place in New York, but I did change it for a reason. The date I couldn't do a whole lot about based on my previous time stamps (I considered bumping them up, but I just couldn't in the end), and the location has to be Gotham City, otherwise I wouldn't be able to utilize something in the next chapter (it wouldn't make sense), so hopefully it doesn't bug anybody too badly. The way I see it, my story technically went AU before "Secrets" aired so for all intents and purposes, the sword of Beowulf could have been at a museum in Gotham etc. So that's my story and I'm sticking to it lol

_**SakuraJade**_


	14. The Lesser of Two Evils

**A/N: **Ugh, I've hardly had any time to sit down and write and when I finally got this chapter finished I had to wait 3 days to post it b/c our internet (and tv) were down. Very irritating.

So here's part 2 of 3 of the Harm saga. It's specifically dedicated to **Rowanfall **and **HeyI'mTalkingtoYou **b/c something they both said in a review for a previous chapter (chapter 11 specifically) is what triggered the use of a specific character in this chapter (and in part, triggered me to use ep 18 "Secrets" at all b/c it was the perfect way to pull this character in more as they requested). I'm sure you two will know what I'm talking about as you read ;)

Anyway, as usual, I apologize for the delay, but this chapter's got a lot of action in it so hopefully that helps make up for it some. Enjoy!

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice. DC Comics, Warner Brothers, and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

**Rated T** for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

_Italics _mean thoughts

"_Italics within quotes_" mean telepathy

_**Note: **_For this chapter, _**"Bolded italics within quotes" **_means radio transmission

_Honesty doesn't always pay, but Dishonesty always costs . . ._

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 14: The Lesser of Two Evils_

**Gotham City**

**October 22, 21:40 EDT**

A man with a silver head of hair and matching mustache in a brown trench coat adjusted his black rimmed glasses and surveyed the damage from the doorway of the Gemology Room. The alarm that had alerted Commissioner Gordon and his men had been shut off, leaving an eerie silence in its wake. As with the other room, only one item seemed to be missing. The only things stolen from the Gotham City Museum of Natural History were an old sword and a man made diamond. He didn't get it, the two items didn't correlate. His thoughts on the matter were interrupted by one of his officers.

"Sir there's a body over here!"

The commissioner rushed across the room and the sight that greeted him made his stomach churn. On the floor was a blonde female in a green costume lying on her side, blood pooling in front of her from a severe stab wound to her chest. His heart clenched, she couldn't have been any older than his own daughter.

"Does anyone recognize the costume?" he finally managed to ask the officers standing nearby.

"We think she was emulating Green Arrow due to the costume and the quiver and bow on her back," one of the men replied. "It looks like she didn't even get a shot off before she was murdered."

He was so caught up in her youthful appearance that Gordon hadn't even noticed the bow and quiver.

"She isn't his new sidekick, is she?" another asked. "You know, since Speedy went solo as Red Arrow? I heard his new sidekick was female, but I haven't seen any pictures."

"Nah, Green Arrow works Star City, that's all the way on the west coast. What would his new sidekick be doing all the way out here in Gotham?" a third officer asked. "She was probably just some young kid looking for a little action."

"One thing's for sure, they keep starting younger and younger," the commissioner spoke with a sad shake of his head. "I don't know what I'd do if my Barbara was running around this city at all hours of the night."

A few of his men nodded in agreement, thinking of their own children.

Finally, Gordon said, "Radio the forensics team to-"

"Gone!"

The commissioner and his men turned to see an older gentleman with rumpled black hair and thick black framed glasses briskly walking towards them, a panicked look on his gaunt face. It was the museum curator. He'd been alerted with the police when the alarm had gone off. Gordon moved to intercept the man before he got close enough to spy the murder scene. He didn't look like a man with a strong stomach.

"Gone!" the curator cried again. "The sword is gone!"

"We know. A report's already been made concerning both the sword and the diamond," Gordon explained.

The curator shook his head. "You don't understand. It wasn't just any old sword; it was the sword of Beowulf!" At the commissioner's less than impressed look, he elaborated. "It's an ancient sword teeming with power. Legend says it provides great power to the pure of heart. There's even an old English incantation that's needed to summon the power: Abanan afoll Beowulf."

Gordon cleared his throat uncomfortably at the seriousness in the curator's tone. "Right, well, power or no power, we can't-"

A throaty chuckle suddenly sounded from above, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. A young man in an open grey trench coat was perched precariously in the corner on a thin ledge that ran along the room. He jumped down to the ground and dropped the ordinary sword he'd been holding in his right hand. It hit the floor with a hollow clatter. He reached over his shoulder and pulled forth what looked like a mummified yeti hand acting as a scabbard for a larger, more ominous sword.

"That's the sword! The sword of Beowulf!" the curator cried, raising an accusing finger at the man.

The police officers immediately drew their guns from all sides of the room ordering him to freeze.

"Harm has made his heart pure, but he did still need the incantation," he said, ignoring the words of the cops.

"Drop the weapon and get on the ground!" Commissioner Gordon demanded, his gun trained on the intruder. "You're under arrest for larceny and first degree murder!" When the man didn't budge he cocked his gun. "I said get on the ground!" he repeated.

Instead of heeding the commissioner's words, Harm raised the sword with a smile. "Abanan afoll Beowulf," he spoke. The fingers trapping the sword in the scabbard opened and Harm pulled the blade out in one swift motion. An intricate circular symbol the color of blood began to glow over his heart.

"But, the legend says only a pure heart can wield it," the curator whispered in awe.

Harm's smile widened as he began to move forward. "The legend didn't say the heart had to be pure good."

He rushed towards his new victims amid a hail of gun fire and screaming.

**x x x **

The first thing Artemis felt upon rejoining the living was a dull ache in her chest. With a groan she clutched the painful spot, her memory still fuzzy on the details that led her to this point. A wail of agony ripped across the room and her eyes flew open in time to see a uniformed police officer drop to the ground like a bag of rocks, blood spurting from a wound in his neck. Within seconds a man in a long grey coat welding an enormous broad sword viciously cut down three more cops. Artemis realized with vivid clarity that it was the same psychopath – Harm he'd called himself – who'd decided to rob the Gotham Museum of Natural History on the same night she and her sister showed up to steal a man made diamond for reasons the blonde still didn't know. He was also the reason behind the painful throb in her barely healed chest. She saw an older gentleman in a brown trench coat approach Harm from behind, but he spun on his left heel, sending a hard kick to the head of the approaching man, rendering him unconscious. Artemis immediately recognized the man with the silver hair and mustache as Commissioner Gordon of the Gotham City Police. Harm raised his sword overhead, intent on impaling him. Disregarding the pain in her chest, Artemis swiftly rose up on her knees, pulled a steel tipped arrow from her arsenal, and let it fly all within a heartbeat. A loud clang rang out as the steel of her arrow met the steel of Harm's blade. The sword was knocked to the side, missing Commissioner Gordon while the arrow ricocheted off and embedded itself in a nearby wall. Harm whirled around to see who caused the interruption and the excitement in his eyes at all the bloodshed he'd caused was instantly replaced with disbelieving shock as he stared at the girl he'd killed himself.

"No . . . no, that's impossible," he whispered. He pointed an accusing finger at Artemis and shouted, "Harm made It like Gretta!"

"I don't know who Gretta is," she replied as she struggled to her feet, "but I can guarantee that I'm one of a kind." She reached for another arrow and restrung her bow. "Ready for round two?"

With a cry of outrage Harm rushed at Artemis and she immediately fired her arrow. He swiped at it with his sword, cleaving it in two before reversing the arc of his blade, swinging it up at her. Artemis side stepped the attack and lashed out high with a roundhouse kick, aiming for Harm's face as she simultaneously reached for another arrow. He caught her ankle with a smile. His smile faded into a frown, however, when he noticed that Artemis had an arrow pointed directly at him. The tip was flashing.

"You little bi-"

Artemis released the arrow and Harm had to drop her ankle and raise his sword instantaneously in order to block the shot. The arrow hit his blade and exploded, sending the pair flying back in opposite directions. Artemis rolled to her hands and knees and shook her head, her ears ringing from the explosion. Her head shot up when she heard an enraged bellow and she saw Harm, sailing through the smoke towards her with his sword raised. She pushed herself up onto her knees and leaned back, bow poised in front of her in an attempt to take the blow he was about to deal, when another figure slammed into his side with a flying kick, black cap fluttering behind them. The kick sent Harm soaring, crashing through a case of precious gemstones head first, the stones scattering across the floor with broken glass in every direction.

"Mind if I join the party?" The person said in a feminine voice, holding out a hand to help the archer up.

Artemis took in the person before her. She was young, definitely no older than herself, with long flowing red hair and a suit of grey, a yellow bat symbol across her chest. Her cape was black with a yellow underside just like Robin's, and she wore a pointy eared cowl similar to that of the Dark Knight himself on top of her head. A yellow utility belt encircled her curvy waist. The girl suddenly gasped. "You're injured," she said and Artemis realized she was staring at the large red stain on the front of her costume.

"It's not fatal," was all the blonde said as she reached out to take the proffered hand.

The redhead in the bat suit looked around at the bodies littering the floor. She inhaled sharply when her eyes fell on a particular figure. Artemis followed her line of sight and saw Commissioner Gordon.

"T-that's the commissioner. Is he-"

"No, he's alive, just unconscious," Artemis informed. She watched as the girl's shoulders sagged in relief and was curious at her intense reaction, though she didn't voice it. "So, you got a name?"

"Batgirl," the redhead replied with a grunt as she hoisted Artemis to her feet.

"Original."

Batgirl scoffed. "Oh yeah? What do you go by?"

"Artemis," the archer replied.

"You named yourself after a Greek goddess? How narcissistic of you," Batgirl shot back.

"Look we could stand here all day arguing about code names, but-"

A malicious chortle interrupted Artemis and the girls turned to see Harm approaching them, eyes trained on the archer.

"It defies death and brings more back up. Harm has underestimated It." He raised his sword in an offensive position as his eyes moved to Batgirl. "Harm did not know the Batman had a female protégé."

Batgirl looked slightly abashed. "He doesn't know he has one . . . yet."

Uninterested in Batgirl, Harm's gaze made its way back to Artemis. "Harm desires more power. He will discover It's secret. He will cut down anyone in his way to obtain that power!" he proclaimed as he dashed at the pair.

Batgirl pulled out a batarang – happy not for the first time that her father was the police commissioner and that he kept all the bat tools he found at crime scenes – and threw it at Harm. He easily deflected it with his sword then snatched the two explosive arrows Artemis shot out of the air and threw them back at the pair. Batgirl dove at the archer and tackled her to the ground, the circular belt buckle with an arrow Artemis wore digging into her shoulder in the process. Together they rolled across the floor and behind a display case of emeralds as the arrows explode where they'd been standing.

"Ugh, he's fast, I'll give him that," Artemis admitted with a grimace.

"We need to get out of here, or the cops that aren't already dead are going to be," Batgirl said.

"Agreed." Artemis rose over the case with her bow strung – hoping to distract Harm with a trick arrow so they could make a run for it – only to see a dagger flying at her face. She moved her bow on reflex to intercept the shot and the dagger struck it instead. The string on the bow snapped and the dagger grazed the edge of her mask, splitting it near her cheek but, by some miracle, left her skin unmarked. She cursed at her misfortune. "Hold him off while I restring!" she ordered Batgirl.

**x x x**

**Mount Justice**

**October 22, 22:03 EDT**

The sound of a small explosion suddenly sounded overhead, startling the three young heroes lounging on the common room couch at Mount Justice.

"What the heck was that?" Wally asked as he dumped the handful of popcorn he'd been about to inhale back into the bowl.

Kaldur sat up straight, eyes alert. "It sounded like it came from the cave's intercom system above," he speculated, eyes turning to the ceiling.

"_**Ugh, he's fast I'll give him that."**_

The three boys stared at each other in surprise at the voice drifting out of the intercom.

"That sounded . . . like Artemis . . ." Wally said as he rose from the couch.

"_**We need to get out of here, or the cops that aren't already dead are going to be," **_a second, unfamiliar voice spoke above.

"If the first speaker is indeed Artemis, then who is with her?" Kaldur asked. "And why are we hearing them?"

"More importantly, what did she mean 'dead cops'?" Wally added, his voice taking on a note of concern.

"_**Agreed."**_

"Her belt buckle," Robin suddenly said.

Before his teammates could question him, he sprang off the couch and ran from the room, Wally and Kaldur following after him. Overhead there was a ringing of metal hitting metal and a startled noise from the person believed to be Artemis followed by a curse word being uttered.

"_**Hold him off while I restring!"**_

"Okay there's no doubt about it, that's definitely Artemis," Wally insisted.

Robin led them to the large holographic computer located in the zeta tube chamber where he immediately began to type.

"You wanna fill us in on what's going on?" the speedster irritably asked as he watched Robin's fingers deftly fly over the keyboard. He was growing increasingly impatient. One of the voices they were hearing definitely belonged to the Team's archer.

And from the sound of things, she was in trouble.

**x x x**

**Gotham City**

**October 22, 22:05 EDT**

Batgirl vaulted over the case and threw a batarang with a cable attached to it at Harm. It wrapped around his forearm, but before she could do anything he grabbed it and yanked her towards him, then planted his foot firmly in her stomach and shoved, sending her lithe form skidding across the floor. Artemis abandoned her attempt to restring her bow and flung herself over the case. She swung her compound bow at him and he sliced downward with his blade, chopping her bow in half. She discarded the broken bow and reached for the collapsible crossbow she kept in a pouch strapped to her thigh, all the while she followed through with the momentum the swing granted her. When she came back around, she had the crossbow trained on him, finger on the hair trigger, while the sharp edge of his blade was resting against the smooth skin of her neck.

"Looks like we're at an impasse. You wanna play without the toys?" she questioned with a smirk, a forced air of confidence in her tone. Batgirl balked at her suggestion to fight weaponless, but Artemis ignored it. She needed him to put down the sword. At the rate things were going, they didn't stand a chance if he didn't. She had no doubt he was a skilled fighter even without a weapon, but at the moment it was the lesser of two evils.

Harm returned her smirk with one of his own as he pulled the yeti hand from his back and sheathed his sword. "It tries to bate Harm, leave Harm weak," he slammed the sword into the floor, cracking the tiles from the force, "but Harm has no weaknesses." He removed his oversized coat and beckoned her forward.

Artemis pulled her crossbow back and returned it to its holster, then she charged at Harm. He stepped back as she sent a left jab at his face, then again as she swung with her right fist. She hooked her right fist back, hoping to catch him by surprise, but the back of her hand met with open air instead of the side of his face as she'd intended. Again and again she swung at him, throwing in some fierce kicks as well, but none of her attacks were landing. It didn't matter though; all she needed to do was keep him busy long enough for Batgirl to grab the sword. Artemis tried to watch for the redhead out of the corner of her eye. She suddenly felt the air in her lungs forced out when Harm's knee connected with her abdomen. She clutched at the spot as she tried to suck air back into her empty lungs.

"So unfocused. It can't fight Harm if It can't focus."

"Would Harm stop referring to himself in the third person? It's really starting to annoy Artemis," Artemis ground out through gritted teeth as she back flipped to avoid a kick.

Behind them, Batgirl quietly approached the sword. She grasped it firmly and pulled. It didn't budge. She tightened her grip and gave a mighty yank, but the sword stayed rooted to the ground. All of a sudden a yellow glow engulfed the sword and streaks of electricity erupted from it, shocking Batgirl. She let out a shrill cry of pain and dropped to the ground.

Artemis immediately looked behind her. "Batgirl!" she yelled when her eyes landed on the redhead, tendrils of smoke curling into the air from her singed costume.

Harm's open palm connected with the side of Artemis's head with such force that it instantly sent her to the floor next to Batgirl.

"And It cares about others, another weakness." He shrugged back into his coat, his cold eyes falling on Batgirl as she sat up. "The sword rejected It's impure heart. It has not made the sacrifices Harm has to become pure."

Harm reached for his sword and effortlessly pulled it from the busted tile. He unsheathed it, the glowing red circle reappearing over his heart, and began to stalk towards Artemis. "Harm is tired of playing; It will tell Harm It's secret."

When he was directly in front of the blonde she lashed out with her left leg, sweeping his feet out from under him. As Harm fell back Batgirl threw a smoke bomb on the ground in front of them. Grey smoke immediately began to spew forth from the little black ball, effectively covering their forms.

**x x x **

**Mount Justice**

**October 22, 22:06 EDT**

"_**Looks like we're at an impasse. You wanna play without the toys?" **_

"Well?" Wally demanded, eyes still on Robin.

"Okay, I maybe might have . . . bugged Artemis with a one-way radio and tracer," Robin explained, eyes not leaving the translucent PC monitor.

"You had reason to believe something such as this was necessary?" Kaldur asked in surprise. He knew he had reason to suspect Artemis, but he had no idea anyone else did.

"_**It tries to bate Harm, leave Harm weak**_,_** but Harm has no weaknesses." **_The voice was deep and off putting. The sound of hand-to-hand combat became evident. Wally felt his worry increase.

"Well, yeah, after I found out that Artemis goes solo around Gotham from time to time," Robin lied. He wasn't about to take the time to explain that he was certain she was involved in something dangerous and that the events of the Gotham Academy Homecoming dance spurred him to install it. "I was worried about her running around Gotham on her own, so I installed a bug in her belt buckle. If it gets hit hard enough they're triggered. I had the radio feed connect directly to the main PA system so that somebody was bound to hear it if it was triggered." That last part was true.

"_**So unfocused. It can't fight Harm if It can't focus."**_

"_**Would Harm stop referring to himself in the third person? It's really starting to annoy Artemis."**_

"So can you tell us where she is then?" Wally asked. "Because whoever she's fighting sounds like a total wackjob!"

"I'm tracking her signal now via satellite."

"Well track it faster!" the speedster urged.

A crackling sound was heard right before a shrill cry erupted from the speakers in the ceiling, startling all three boys.

_**Batgirl!**_ The sound of a hit connecting followed the shout.

Robin froze for a split second before he was typing again, the alias Artemis called catching him by surprise.

"_**And It cares about others, another weakness."**_ There was a pause, then: _**"The sword rejected It's impure heart. It has not made the sacrifices Harm has to become pure." **_

"You're right, this guy does sound like a wackjob," Robin said as a map appeared on the screen.

"_**Harm is tired of playing; It will tell Harm It's secret."**_

**x x x**

**Gotham City**

**October 22, 22:10 EDT**

"Run!" Artemis ordered as she sprang to her feet.

Together the heroines sprinted out of the room. When the fourth floor stairwell came into view, Artemis threw open the door and pounded down the winding staircase, Batgirl right behind her. Artemis could hear heavier footsteps echoing further back and knew they belonged to Harm.

"The It's will not escape Harm!" he howled.

He stopped on the landing between the third and fourth floor and held his sword out. A golden glow engulfed it and lightning surged forward, climbing down the stairwell towards the girls. A yellow brightness caught Artemis's attention from the corner of her eye. She turned to see fragments of lightning streaking towards them. She cursed and jumped, skipping the rest of the stairs and going straight for the second floor landing. Batgirl followed suit. As soon as their feet hit the ground Artemis lunged for Batgirl, tackling her into the second floor door. The redhead's back hit the door's release bar, and the heavy metal door swung open. They tumbled through the doorway as the lightning rushed passed. Both girls hit the ground, rolled right back onto their feet, and kept on running. They rushed into the next stairwell they came across and took it down to the first floor.

"As soon as we get outside we-" Artemis stopped short as they rounded a corner and came face-to-face with Harm.

"Enough games!" he barked. He raised his glowing sword up high and smashed it into the tiled floor. Massive orange and yellow lightning bolts shot forward along the ground. Before either girl could blink the lightning had reached them. It raced through their bodies with so much force they were lifted into the air as they were electrocuted. When the electricity finally faded, their limp bodies fell to the ground in a heap, clothes smoking. Harm sheathed his sword and placed it on his back. He grabbed Batgirl and tossed her onto his shoulder with ease, her arms dangling lifelessly behind his back. Then he wrapped his fingers around Artemis's long blonde ponytail and began to drag her unconscious body behind him as he walked towards the exit.

_**To be continued . . . **_

A/N: So what'd everyone think of Batgirl taking Zatanna's spot? My desire to utilize Batgirl is why I changed the location from NYC to Gotham. I apologize if she wasn't completely in character. I didn't read the comics and we've only seen her, like, twice in YJ so I don't have much to go on I'm afraid. I get the impression though that she's got some sass to her (like Artemis) so that's how I tried to write her. My goal was to pull some stuff directly from ep 18 "Secrets" but twist it to fit what I have going on and to make it different enough to be worth reading. I hope I succeeded. I don't know if anyone knows what the incantation is that Harm says to release the sword, but I gave my best guess at how to spell it. If anyone knows for sure, please let me know and I'll edit it.

Sorry it ended on a cliffhanger of sorts again, but it was just the best place to cut it. Hopefully it just left you all wanting more hehe If you can spare a moment, please let me know how I did, your comments mean the world to me :) See you in chapter 15!

_**SakuraJade**_


	15. A Psycho, a Ghost, and a Goddess

**A/N: **Here's the final installment of the three part story involving Harm. **I do want to warn everyone that this chapter is more graphically violent than usual, so please read with caution.**

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice. DC Comics, Warner Brothers, and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

**Rated T** for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

_Italics _mean thoughts

"_Italics within quotes_" mean telepathy

_**Note: **_For this chapter, _**"Bolded italics within quotes" **_means radio transmission

_The Trust of the innocent is the Liar's most useful tool . . ._

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 15: A Psycho, a Ghost, and a Goddess_

**Mount Justice**

**October 22, 22:15 EDT**

An unbearably loud crackling flooded the room for only a moment, then it was gone, leaving nothing but silence in its wake.

"What the heck just happened!?" Wally demanded, eyes on his best friend. "Where'd the transmission go?"

Robin shook his head. "I don't know. It sounded like a surge of electricity shorted out the connection."

"Were you able to pinpoint Artemis's whereabouts?" Kaldur asked, his calm voice underscored by a note of genuine concern.

"Yeah. Her signal was coming from the Gotham Museum of Natural History before the connection was cut."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Wally exclaimed, his feet already carrying him out of the room.

"I too am concerned for Artemis's safety," Kaldur spoke as he and Robin hurried after the anxious redhead, "but Wally's level of distress . . . I cannot help but feel as though I am missing something."

"You have no idea. You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Robin replied as the pair raced into the bioship hanger.

**x x x**

**Gotham City**

**October 22, 22:34 EDT**

When the team of three reached the Gotham Museum of Natural History, it didn't take them long to locate the exhibit the disturbance had taken place in, but they were unprepared for the sight that greeted them. The bodies of several uniformed cops littered the floor of the gemology room, their blood smeared across the tiles, broken glass and gemstones from some of the display cases scattered everywhere. Within seconds, Wally performed a quick sweep of the entire museum in search of their missing teammate or the other girl she'd been with, but they were nowhere to be found. A few of Artemis's arrows and what looked like one of Batman's own batarangs – something Robin intended to look into – was the only physical proof they'd been there.

"She's not here," Wally informed when he returned to the gemology room. Robin was typing away on his wrist computer while Kaldur checked each body for signs of life.

"Some of these officers are still alive," Kaldur informed his teammates, his fingers against the neck of an older gentleman in a brown trench coat. "We must call an ambulance."

"Already did," Robin explained, his fingers constantly moving along the tiny holographic keyboard of his wrist computer.

"What are you doing?" Wally asked as he looked at the screen over his shoulder.

"I hacked into the security camera feed for the entire building and I'm linking all the footage that Artemis appears in together so we will hopefully have a better understanding of what happened and where to go from here." After a few more key strokes he said, "There, that should do it." A large projection appeared above his wrist just as Kaldur joined them. The grainy black and white footage started silently playing. Artemis was shown talking to a tall man with long hair, a trench coat, and a massive sword, her bow drawn with a trick arrow.

"Wait, there's still some footage before this-"

"Who cares? We don't need to watch that psycho massacre a bunch of cops, we need to know what happened to Artemis," Wally argued.

The footage played out like a silent movie. They watched as Artemis went toe-to-toe with Harm, then another figure joined them.

"That must be Batgirl," Robin stated. Batgirl threw a projectile weapon at Harm then tackled Artemis to the ground as Harm threw the exploding arrows the blonde had just fired back at them. "There," Robin said, "that's how the signal in Artemis's belt buckle was triggered." He hit a separate key on his wrist computer and the radio transmission they'd heard from the cave intercom started playing in sync with the footage.

They listened to the transmission playback as the footage unfolded before them. When Harm's sword stopped against the slender slope of Artemis's neck, Wally inhaled sharply. He balked in outrage, however, when she put her collapsible crossbow away to engage Harm in hand-to-hand combat. "Is she out of her mind? Why the heck did she challenge him to fight weaponless?"

A few moments later they watched Batgirl receive an electric shock after attempting to take the sword.

"There's your answer," Robin said.

"The sword is enchanted."

Wally groaned at Kaldur's words. He hated when magic was supposedly involved. A second later Harm's open palm connected with the side of Artemis's face, sending her to the ground and Wally growled under his breath, anger burning in the pit of his stomach. Batgirl threw a smoke bomb at their feet and the pair ran from the room. Having been pulled from different cameras as the girls ran, the rest of the footage played out stilted and jerky, but it was enough to give the boys an idea of how everything went down. The last of the footage showed Harm violently electrocute both girls before he threw Batgirl over his shoulder and grabbed Artemis by her long ponytail, dragging her unconscious body behind him as he exited the building. The footage ran out and stopped. All three boys were silent for a moment.

"You . . . you don't think they . . ." Wally couldn't bring himself to finish.

"I think Harm would not have bothered taking them unless they were still alive," Kaldur responded in a firm and assured voice.

"The real question is: why did he want them?" Robin mused out loud. "In the transmission he mentioned a secret. 'It will tell Harm It's secret,'" he quoted. "What secret? Artemis doesn't have any special powers and it didn't look like Batgirl does either."

"Their civilian identities perhaps?" Kaldur supplied.

"Maybe, but I don't know why he'd care to know that, or go through all that trouble to find out for that matter. I mean it's not like they went quietly."

"Well, as soon as we find him you can ask him!" Wally exclaimed. "Meanwhile while we stand here discussing that psycho's motives, he's getting farther away with Artemis!"

"Kid is right. We will start within a one mile radius of the museum and work our way out from there. Let's go," Kaldur order and the trio headed back to the bioship.

As they ran up the stairs towards the roof to re-board the bioship, Wally did his best to keep the worry that was gnawing at his stomach at bay.

**x x x **

**Gotham City**

**October 22, 23:04 EDT**

The pounding in Artemis's head was so intense she thought she might puke. Every square inch of her body ached. She supposed getting electrocuted would do that to a person. She tried to place a hand to her throbbing head, but her wrists were bound behind her back. She'd been dumped in the corner of a dimly lit room, her butt and thighs numb from the cold floor beneath her. As her eyes roamed the room trying to regain their ability to focus, all she saw was one small square table made of chipped up wood and a matching chair. The current bane of her existence was sitting in the chair. When her eyes locked with his she glared hatefully. He smirked.

"It finally awakens. Harm was beginning to grow impatient."

"Well, if Harm didn't want to wait so long, maybe he shouldn't have electrocuted me," she replied dryly. "Where's Batgirl? What have you done with her?"

"The Batgirl is fine, for now."

"Meaning?"

"It will tell Harm It's secret, or It's partner will pay the price."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Artemis insisted.

Harm rose from his chair in a flourish. "Do not lie to Harm! Harm killed you, he knows he did!"

"Oh my God with the third person thing!" Artemis cried in irritation. "Look, buddy, there _is_ no secret!"

With a frustrated growl, Harm strode over to the blonde, grabbed her by her hair, and yanked her out of the room. Artemis bit back a cry, her scalp still extremely tender from the last time he pulled her by her hair. Harm dragged her down the hall and through the doorway of another room located near the top of the stairs before releasing her. A quick glance around at the canopy bed topped with stuffed animals and the purple walls showed the room belonged to a young girl. Batgirl was lying on the wooden floor by the foot of the bed, still unconscious. A few quick strides put Harm right next to her limp form. Artemis struggled to her feet – a difficult task with her hands bound behind her back – and watched him warily. He drew his sword and placed it along the front of her spandex covered throat.

"Harm will give It one more chance to tell It's secret." When Artemis remained silent he applied enough pressure to slice through the fabric and break the skin. Deep red droplets of blood began to bead along the slit he'd created before running freely down the slope of Batgirl's neck.

"Alright!" Artemis suddenly cried. She didn't want to tell him, but her secret wasn't worth Batgirl's life. She knew Harm would kill the other girl as soon as he was done with her, so she silently prayed that she could buy Batgirl enough time to wake up and stage an escape. It was the best she could hope for. "It's the tattoo on my back, at the base of my neck."

Without a word, Harm pulled his sword away from the shallow cut he'd created in Batgirl's throat and sheathed it. Then he pushed Artemis back out of the room, slamming the door behind him. He roughly shoved her back into the first room and she fell forward, her mid section knocking against the edge of the wooden table. She pulled away to try and face him, but Harm grabbed the back of her neck and rammed her head down, forcing her left cheek to lay flat against the scratched up surface. With his other hand he threw her impossibly long hair out of the way and pulled the zipper on the back of her shirt down far enough to reveal her tattoo. He admired the intricate mark for a moment before he pulled a dagger from his belt. Artemis froze when she felt the sharp tip of the cold metal resting against her skin.

"What are you gonna do?" she asked, keeping her voice as even as possible.

"Harm will take It's secret for himself; tear it right from It's flesh." She could hear the excitement in his voice and she shivered involuntarily. "Then he will be invincible."

Artemis tried to push back but his grip was firm and unrelenting. "It doesn't work like that!"

His only response was to sink the blade into her back. Artemis cried out in response, her blood seeping out and running down her back in a thin trail.

Harm's smile grew as he slowly started dragging the blade through her flesh. "Harm enjoys It's pain."

**x x x **

**Gotham City**

**October 22, 23:08 EDT**

Kid Flash couldn't keep his leg from jiggling. He was so high strung he could practically feel his molecules bouncing around his body. He, Aqualad, and Robin had been scouring the area surrounding the Gotham Museum of Natural History for a half hour in the hopes of finding a lead that would help them track down their missing archer. Out of nowhere the sound of a small struggle started coming from Robin's wrist. He'd been steering the bioship but put it on autopilot in order to tinker with his wrist computer. Before leaving Mount Justice, he'd routed the signal in Artemis's belt to be sent to his wrist PC in the event that it was reactivated. With a few key strokes he knew their luck had changed.

"Artemis's signal is back on-line!" he announced.

Wally sprung up from his seat. "Well hurry up and trace her before it-"

"_**What are you gonna do?"**_

The boys collectively froze at the sound of their missing teammate's voice.

"_**Harm will take It's secret for himself; tear it right from It's flesh. Then he will be invincible."**_

"_**It doesn't work like that!"**_

A moment later an anguished cry – clearly belonging to Artemis – filled the cabin of the bioship startling all three guys.

"_**Harm enjoys It's pain."**_

"Anytime you wanna pinpoint her signal, Rob!" Wally barked, frustrated by the powerlessness he was feeling over his inability to do anything other than listen to Artemis scream.

"Locked onto her coordinates," Robin finally said. "She's about five miles west of here." He pulled the bioship out of autopilot and rushed it towards their destination.

**x x x **

**Happy Harbor**

**October 22, 23:04 EDT**

If Superboy had the same heat vision Superman was known for, the entire Happy Harbor football team would have been incinerated by now from the glares he'd been sending them all night long. Guys hadn't stopped talking with Megan since the pair had arrived at Mal Duncan's Halloween party over two hours ago and it made Conner furious, not to mention jealous. It was clear a good majority of them were interested in her. He honestly couldn't blame them; Megan was a pretty amazing girl and, between her performance at the Homecoming game and the way she saved the routine by bringing Artemis in at a moment's notice, others were starting to realize that too. The thing was that Conner had begun to think of her as_ his_ girl. He had so few things that meant anything to him, he wasn't about to share the most important one. He knew it was selfish but he couldn't help it. He'd spent most of the party tucked away in the corner, arms crossed over his chest defensively, the toilet paper Megan had wrapped him in to make his mummy costume hanging off his body haphazardly, while Megan walked around, surrounded by her fellow cheerleaders, talking with other students from school. With each tinkling laugh that escaped from Megan's lips, Conner felt himself grow increasingly insecure. She was so friendly and outgoing, practically the exact opposite of him in every way that he was beginning to doubt they could ever be more than teammates, no matter how much he might want things to be otherwise. Sure they'd shared a few special moments and had a bit of a bonding experience during the mission in Bialya that had since altered their relationship somewhat, but was it really enough if they were nothing alike? After all, Megan still didn't feel comfortable enough with him to reveal her true form to him, something he knew she was hiding from the mind meld they'd done during their battle against Psimon in Bialya. She wasn't differentiating him from the other members of the team at all.

Now he felt like a fool for ever thinking she would.

**x x x **

**Gotham City**

**October 22, 23:12 EDT**

Once Robin had locked onto Artemis's new coordinates, it'd taken less than two minutes to reach the building detaining her, but having to listen to Artemis's brutal screaming had made it the longest minute and a half of Wally's life. Robin finally cut the signal as the bioship came down towards a street behind a two-story square city house made of brick. Wally was out of his seat before the ship finished touching the ground. The only thing that stopped him from bolting down the exit ramp was Kaldur's firm hand on his shoulder.

"Wally, I am just as worried about Artemis as you are, but we cannot rush into this situation without a plan," he said, his grip on the speedster's shoulder still tight.

Robin seriously doubted Kaldur's worry for the blonde was as acute as Wally's, but he chose not to comment on it. Instead he said, "No argument there. Whoever this guy is, he's completely deranged."

"If we waste anymore time, Artemis might be dead before we even go in there!" Wally burst out.

"If we don't have a strategy in place before we head in, she's as good as dead," Robin rationalized. "And so are we."

Wally let out a harsh sigh as he fisted his hands in his red hair. He knew they were right. "Alright, then what's the plan?"

"We will go through the back gate and enter the house from the rear. You and I will go for Artemis," Kaldur explained. His eyes moved from Wally to Robin. "Robin, you will go for the other girl. We do not know what condition either girl is in, so our goal is extraction."

"Grab the girls and go. Got it," Robin said.

The three boys discussed a few more details then hurried down the exit ramp and quietly sneaked through a gate set in the wooden lattice fence that surrounded the backyard. As soon as Robin jimmied the backdoor open their ears were assaulted by an agonizing cry. Together they silently rushed up a set of stairs leading to the second floor. Robin broke off and headed into the first room he saw on the right, while Wally and Kaldur continued on, following the screaming further down the hall. Robin found himself in a small room with purple walls and a matching rug, a white canopy bed and dresser in the comer. Bound and gagged in the middle of the floor was a girl with red hair spilling out from underneath a familiar looking cowl. She was awake and she eyed him with surprise. He hurried over to her and removed the duck tape covering her mouth with one quick yank, earning a grunt from the girl.

"Thanks," she whispered and he began cutting through the ropes binding her hands. "My first patrol and I already get to meet the Boy Wonder. Lucky me, I've always wanted to ask you a few questions."

"Yeah, well, I've got some questions of my own I want answered," Robin replied as he moved to take care of the rope around her ankles. "But first things first, we need to get out of here."

"There's another girl here. Harm's got her. We can't leave without her."

"I know. My friends are already on it."

Down the hall, Kaldur pulled out his waterbearers and two aqua maces formed. With a nod of his head, he and Wally charged into the room, the metallic sent of blood heavy in the air. Harm had his back to the two boys and had just begun to turn his head at the noise when Aqualad slammed one of his maces into Harm's side. Harm staggered several steps to the left, dropping the dagger coated in Artemis's blood on the floor in the process. As soon as he caught his footing he ripped his sword from its scabbard and spun around with his blade, hoping to slice through the intruder, but Aqualad parried the blow with his maces. With Harm no longer forcing her against the table, Artemis's knees buckled beneath her weight. Before she could collapse to the floor, a pair of warm arms encircled her, supporting her gently.

"I've got you," a familiar voice said.

A roar from across the room drew the blonde's attention and she saw Aqualad parry another blow from Harm. Then she glanced up and behind to see who was supporting her. Her disoriented eyes landed on a shock of red hair and green eyes.

Wally.

In the short time she'd known him she'd never been so happy to see him. He wasn't looking at her face though; he was looking at the damage Harm had inflicted with his dagger. He'd almost managed to cut all the way around the butterfly tattoo between her shoulders before he and Aqualad barged in. Her back was slick with sweat and thin trails of blood that had managed to ooze from the wound all the way down to the small curve of her back, soaking sections of her crop top in the process. Despite the blood, Wally could still see the faint scars he'd seen during their mission in Chicago, the last time her back had been exposed to his eyes. And once again, he could have sworn her tattoo was even more faded than before.

"Wa-Kid," she corrected, still having the good sense to use his moniker, "how did you guys-"

"We'll, talk about it later," he replied as he quickly zipped her shirt back up, covering the old scars and the fresh wound. "Right now we need to get you out of here." He scooped her up in his arms, hooking one arm under her knees and the other around her shoulders, careful to avoid the damaged tissue. Then he looked over at Kaldur. "Aqualad!"

"We are done here," Kaldur remarked as he blocked a downward thrust with his right mace and swung out hard with the one in his left hand. It slammed into Harm and knocked him clear off his feet and into the wall. Kaldur hurried from the room with Wally and Artemis.

"No! It belongs to Harm! He will have It's secret!" he shouted after them.

Robin and Batgirl rushed out of the room closest to the staircase to see the others heading their way.

"Robin, is-"

"It's set," Robin assured Kaldur as the group tromped down the stairs for the ground floor.

A moment later Harm tore out of the far room and down the hall after them. As he neared the room Batgirl had been in the sound of someone laughing mockingly began to drift from the cracked door. With an angered growl he shoved it open with the butt of his sword and stormed in, eyes wildly scanning for the source. Several silver disks with red flashing centers were stuck to the walls around the room. The cackling suddenly stopped and the flashing red lights became solid.

Harm's face soured. "Fuck."

The group of five teens ran out onto the back lawn just as an explosion on the second floor went off, sending a small shock through the ground. As the group hurried for the back gate, Artemis noticed something in the corner of the rundown fence across the yard, hidden in shadows.

Wait, wait stop," she ordered as she shrugged out of Wally's grasp and padded towards the object.

"Artemis, what are you doing? Let's go," Wally urged.

Artemis didn't respond. She stopped in front of it and stared. It was a small, grubby plank of wood sticking out of a mound of semi-fresh dirt. Light from a street lamp trickled across it through the slats in the lattice fence, shinning on some writing that had been etched into the surface. The blonde leaned a little closer.

"Greta Hayes. Beloved sister," she read out loud. Her eyes widened and she took a step back. "Oh my God . . ."she whispered.

"Artemis, what is it?" Kaldur asked.

"His sister," she whispered.

"What are you talking about?" Robin asked.

"It's a grave, for his sister."

As if to verify her claim, a bright, white, translucent figure suddenly rose out of the dirt mound, startling the entire group. It was the figure of a young girl around 10 or 11, with long blonde hair held away from her face by a headband, and a flowing white poncho over her clothes with matching boots and black leggings. Everyone froze.

"A ghost. An actual ghost," Batgirl whispered in awe.

Wally had his eyes trained on the figure in disbelief. He believed in ghosts about as much as he believed in magic. Despite his lack of faith in all things supernatural, he was finding it very hard to explain the sudden appearance of the eerie figure standing on top of the handmade grave.

For a moment the ghostly girl – presumably named Greta as her makeshift headstone read – simply stared at Artemis, who stared back in astonishment, then she slowly moved towards the blonde.

"Same," she stated, her haunting voice like the wind rustling through the autumn leaves. "Same," she repeated.

"What is she talking about?" Wally asked, the situation starting to make his skin prickle with wariness. Wally didn't do ghosts, but that didn't change the fact that an unknown individual was approaching Artemis.

The young girl turned her eyes on the speedster sharply and said, "Secret." Then she turned back to the blonde, reached her opaque hands out, and touched the smooth skin of Artemis's cheeks.

The blonde's eyes went wide with surprise as images assaulted her mind.

_Greta – dressed exactly the same – cowered on the floor in the corner of the same room Batgirl had been in, her eyes stricken with fear and sadness. Harm loomed over her, his face impassive, the same dagger he'd used on Artemis clutched in his right hand. _

"Stop it! Stop touching her!" Wally cried, the vacant look on the archer's face spurring him into motion. He lunged for the figure, but instead of making contact with the girl he sailed completely through her form, an unsettling coldness washing over him from head to toe in the process. He landed on the ground a foot away with a grunt. Not letting his mind dwell on the impossibility that just happened, he turned back to the pair. Greta kept her hold on Artemis.

"_You said you'd always be there for me, Billy. That I was the only person you ever really loved," Greta whimpered, tears of despair escaping her eyes._

"_You are," Harm responded, his tone emotionless. The words had hardly left his mouth before he brought the dagger down quick and hard. He mercilessly repeated the motion, the maniacal gleam in his bloodthirsty eyes brightening with every slice he made. Blood splattered his face but he didn't flinch, he just kept tearing into his little sister with the dagger. _

The horrific scene faded from Artemis's mind and her eyes were once more staring directly at the ghostly apparition of Greta.

"Same," the girl whispered again, her voice heavy with anguish.

Artemis couldn't argue with that statement. They were the same, both having been killed by their older siblings. Greta simply didn't possess the ability to come back to life, not like Artemis. She rose from the dead in a different way. An explosion from behind forced everyone's attention back to the house. The backdoor had been blown off its hinges and Harm stood in the doorway, his jacket streaked with soot and ash, electricity running the length of his sword.

Harm's eyes moved to Artemis – the only one he really wanted – and they narrowed in rage when he saw where she stood. "It defiles Harm's holy place!"

"I defile it?! You did this! To your own sister!" she accused, adrenaline and anger coursing through her, washing away the sluggish feeling she'd had due to blood loss. Harm simply smiled and Artemis gasped at the sheer audacity of it all. "You're proud of it?" she whispered. "And you had the gull to write beloved you sick son of a bitch."

"Not gull, truth. She was the only thing Harm ever loved. That's why she had to go. Harm's heart had to be pure. Greta had to be cut out, excised like an infection."

The smug look on Harm's face suddenly dropped and his skin paled two shades. Artemis realized he was staring at something beyond her and she turned to see that Greta had moved out from behind her.

"No . . . It can't be!" He backed up a step when Greta took a step towards him, then he pointed his sword at Artemis in an accusatory manor. "You did this!" he growled, clearly thinking she could raise others from the dead with her ability.

"No," Artemis replied, face impassive, "you did."

With a snarl Harm moved to attack the blonde. Aqualad immediately pulled his waterbearers from the harness on his back and generated his maces. He hurried to intercept Harm, but the sociopath directed his sword at the Atlantean and a bolt of lightning shot forward, hitting Aqualad full force in the chest. He dropped to the ground with a groan, the shock momentarily leaving him too weak to stand.

"Aqualad!" Robin called.

He grabbed the collapsible bo from his utility belt and ran at Harm. At the last second he dug the tip into the ground and used it to vault over Harm so that Harm's sword swung through empty air. Robin landed behind him and swung at Harm's head, but he spun around and raised his sword quick enough to parry the blow. He drew his sword back to slice through the Boy Wonder, but Kid Flash barreled into him from the right, catching Harm by surprise. The impact sent his body sprawling to the ground a few feet away. Before he could attempt to get to his feet, Batgirl sent a swift kick at his right hand, dislodging the powerful sword from his grasp. Light glinted off the blade as it spun through the air, the tip of it sinking into the ground when it landed vertically. Harm scrambled for it. Just as he reached for it Artemis closed her fingers around the hilt, pulled it out of the ground, and pointed it at Harm.

"Don't. Move."

"No, that's impossible. Only the pure hearted can wield it! Harm made sacrifices to be pure enough for the sword!"

"You think you're the only one who's made sacrifices?! Everything I've done I've done for others!" Artemis cried indignantly. As she spoke her face blurred, momentarily mingling with another. Then it was blocked out by Greta as the ghostly girl walked through Artemis's body from behind. As she walked towards Harm she passed down the length of Artemis's arm, then down the sword, all the while her eyes burned into her older brother's.

"Harm's not sorry! He's not!" Harm insisted as she drew near.

Once Greta reached him she wordlessly thrust her hand into Harm's chest and drew out a glowing red ball of light. Harm toppled over to the ground and she moved to stand over him, the fiery orb floating in her outstretched hand. Then it fizzled out and dissipated. With a harsh grunt Harm pushed himself to his feet.

"I don't need the sword!" he declared and drew his dagger, still coated in Artemis's blood.

"Funny, neither do I," Artemis sneered and threw the sword of Beowulf to the side. Harm rushed at her with his dagger but she easily kicked it from his hand. "So unfocused," she mocked, tossing his own words back into his face.

He swung at her head but she ducked and slammed her fist into his solar plexus, then she round house kicked him in the shoulder, spinning him. As he came around he saw Batgirl in front of him with her fist drawn back. She slugged him across the jaw then thrust her elbow into his nose, breaking it, before she spun him back towards Artemis with another roundhouse kick. He staggered towards her and she sent a firm sidekick to his stomach. When he doubled over from the impact, she thrust upward into his forehead with her knee, then she dropped low and swept his feet out from under him. He landed on his back and she quickly kicked him across the face. He let out a painful groan but made no attempt to rise.

Robin let out a low whistle. "You two really let him have it."

"Well, it wasn't like he didn't deserve it or anything," Batgirl reasoned.

"Very true."

When Artemis was sure Harm wasn't getting back up, she turned her attention to Greta. "We'll make sure you're buried properly. We won't forget about you."

Greta finally let her lips spread into a small grin, then she sank back into the ground. The sound of a police siren wailed in the distance and Artemis let out a tired sigh. "Cops are coming."

"Well, Boy Wonder here did blow up the second floor," Batgirl pointed out.

Robin bent down to tie Harm's hands behind his back. "We'll leave Harm here for the cops. They'll be able to make sure Greta's remains are properly taken care of as well." Once Harm was secure, he looked at Wally. "Help me get Kaldur to the bioship."

The speedster joined Robin. They each slung one of Kaldur's arms around their shoulders and heaved him to his feet. The girls followed behind. When they stepped through the gate and up to the bioship Robin took it out of camouflage mode.

"Sweet ride," Batgirl commented.

"It actually belongs to someone else on the Team," Wally supplied as he and Dick began to cart Kaldur up the ramp.

"So, what, you guys and some other sidekicks are all, like, the junior Justice League or something?"

"Or something," Artemis said as she dropped into the closest seat.

Now that they finally had a moment, Batgirl started at the blonde next to her long and hard. The blonde hair and fighting skills, the crossbow she'd seen her use on Harm, it was clear that this wasn't the first time she'd seen the archer in action. Finally she said, "You're her, aren't you? The girl with the crossbow at the Gotham Academy Homecoming dance."

Robin spun to look at her. His sudden lack of help with Kaldur caused Wally to haphazardly drop the heavy boy into the seat they'd been placing him in.

Eyes wide behind his domino mask he asked incredulously, "Wait, you were there too?"

"And I take it that means you were there as well," she countered. Her eyes moved to Wally. "And you considering you guys are all friends and one of the people I saw that night was moving incredibly fast. Although I have to admit I have no idea why you were present since you don't live in Gotham so I'm pretty sure you don't go to the Academy. Unless you knew something was going to happen in advance."

Wally's eyes darted to Artemis's and he wiped the back of his neck uncomfortably. "It's complicated."

Batgirl looked back at Artemis. "As far as protégés go, I recognize Kid Flash, Aqualad, and of course Robin, but I'm not familiar with you."

"I'm working under Green Arrow since Speedy went rogue as Red Arrow."

"Wait, you commute all the way from Gotham to Star City on the other side of the country regularly to work with Green Arrow?" the redhead asked skeptically.

Robin took his seat at the helm, put the bioship back into camouflage mode, and lifted it into the air so they wouldn't have a run in with the local police force that was beginning to close in. "We have our ways. What I want to know is how you got a hold of some of Batman's gear."

It was Batgirl's turn to look uncomfortable. "He leaves stuff behind at crime scenes. The cops confiscate it, and I managed to liberate a few gadgets from them," she answered vaguely.

I don't suppose you plan on making this your first and last mission now that you've seen just how dangerous being a vigilante is?" Robin asked.

"Not a chance. This city needs all the help it can get."

Robin honestly couldn't argue with that.

**x x x **

**Mount Justice**

**October 23, 00:07 EDT**

The team dropped Batgirl off outside of Gotham Academy, since it was a neutral location, before flying back to Mount Justice. Wally had taken it upon himself to clean and bandage the damage Harm had done to Artemis. She insisted the dried blood caked around a hole in the front of her shirt was from a superficial cut that didn't need attending to, so he let that one go, but he refused to ignore the fresh injury on her back given the extent of the damage. To his surprise, however, the gashes he was sure would need stitches needed nothing more than some clean bandages. By the time they reached Mount Justice, Artemis was patched up and Kaldur had come around. They quickly explained what he'd missed to catch him up to speed.

"I am just relieved we were able to find you in time," he said as the Team left the bioship hanger. "I need to go make a report of our nocturnal activities in the cave's log." He excused himself from the others and headed further into the cave.

"How did you guys find me anyway?" Artemis asked the other two boys, coming to a stop in the common room. She and Wally had removed their masks once Batgirl had departed the ship, while Robin's remained in place.

Wally looked uncomfortable while Dick wore a guilty expression on his masked face. Artemis raised an impatient eyebrow.

Dick sighed. "Before you get pissed keep in mind that what I did saved your life."

"Meaning?"

"Because of the . . . trouble you've had recently with the League of Shadows, I installed a tracking device and one-way radio into your belt buckle that would trigger if hit hard enough. I wired them to the cave's mainframe so that if you were in trouble we'd hopefully know about it. Kaldur thinks I installed it because you patrol Gotham on your own sometimes."

"Let me get this straight. You installed a tracking device into my uniform without my permission," Artemis said, her voice flat.

"Life saving tracking equipment," Robin reminded as if to help his case.

Both boys stared at Artemis, cringing slightly as they waited for her to explode in anger at the invasion of privacy, but she was eerily silent.

"You're, uh, taking this pretty well," Robin finally said when it became clear that she wasn't going to respond.

The archer let out a tired sigh. "Honestly? I don't really have the steam to lay into you tonight given all that's happened."

"What was all that about anyway?" Robin inquired. "Because of the radio transmission, we heard him mention a secret several times."

"And why was he trying to cut out that tattoo on your back?" Wally asked. "The guy seemed borderline obsessed with you." His skin crawled at the thought.

Artemis shook her head. "I have no idea. The guy was a complete sociopath. Maybe he thought I had a secret because I managed to get the drop on him at the museum. Maybe he thinks everyone has deep secrets because he himself had a really dark one, who knows. Hopefully the cops put him in a nice padded cell in Arkham."

"How _did_ you end up at the museum tonight?" Robin pressed, ever curious.

"I actually do patrol Gotham from time to time. I was a few streets over when the museum alarm went off," she lied. She couldn't very well tell them that she'd been there stealing an amorphous diamond with Cheshire, her sister, because the leader of the League of Shadows was so impressed with the job she'd done so far "spying" on the team that he wanted to start utilizing her for more. Since she did patrol Gotham once in a great while it wasn't a complete and total lie at least.

Wally raised a skeptical eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. "Why do I get the feeling you aren't tell-"

"Give it a rest, M'gann."

Wally broke off at the sound of Conner's voice, and the three turned to see Megan and Conner heading into the room.

"No, all night you sulked in a corner."

"What'd you care? You were busy hanging out with the football team all night."

"I'm a cheerleader, Conner! I'm _supposed_ to talk to them!" Megan cried in frustration.

Conner scoffed. "Based on what? The stupid tv shows you watch? That isn't real life."

"Based on tv shows or not, my behavior is more real than yours. You wouldn't even talk to anyone, you were so rude. I don't know why you even went."

"Because you asked me to!"

Megan crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. "Well next time a social function comes up I won't bother."

Connor scoffed. "That's fine with me."

The pair passed through the common room without so much as a glance at the other three. Their bickering fading as they got further away.

"Wonder what happened between them tonight," Robin stated, eyes still trained on the hallway Megan and Conner had exited through.

Artemis gave a shrug. "Beats me, but I'm sure it was nowhere near the night we had. I mean it's not every night you fight a deranged psycho and see a ghost."

Wally groaned and Artemis turned her eyes on him, one delicate brow arched. "Don't tell me you're seriously going to try and deny that we saw a ghost tonight."

"I don't know what we saw, but I'm sure there's gotta be an explanation for it," Wally replied, voice as neutral as he could make it.

"Yeah, there is. When a transparent person rises out of a freaking grave it's called a ghost!"

"Look, there's no scientific proof that ghosts are real."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Of course, seeing one first hand couldn't possibly make it real. You have got to be the most close-minded individual I've ever met." Artemis shook her head, exasperated. "I'm going to bed." She turned away from her teammates and headed for her private room.

Wally let out an irritated sigh. He didn't understand why Artemis was so bothered by his lack of belief in the supernatural. It was almost like she took it personally. He suddenly felt exhausted, the hours of worrying about Artemis and everything else that had happened clearly taking their toll.

"Smooth," Robin commented.

"Shut up," Wally grumbled and started for his own bedroom, Robin trailing behind.

_**To be continued . . . **_

**A/N:** I hope I managed to make the three chapters involving Harm different enough to make them worth reading. As usual your comments are always a pleasure to read so let me know what you think, please! Thanks to all who kept prodding me to update, it helps push me to do it more than you know, seriously!

_**SakuraJade**_


	16. The Magician's Daughter

**A/N: **So how awesome is my husband? For Valentine's Day he bought me all available episodes of YJ on DVD AND actually tracked down Issue #0 since it was the only one I was missing. I love that boy :) Too bad both the show and comic have been cancelled :'( I'm BEYOND bummed about that. It's The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (that might be too old for a lot of you, but it was cancelled after 2 seasons too despite its awesomeness) all over again for me :( What a waste . . .

Anyway, I think you can guess who's going to make an appearance based on the title :) So for those who have been waiting, enjoy!

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice. DC Comics, Warner Brothers, and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)" The song lyrics used in this chapter are from Ellie Goulding's song Animal. Excellent song, the whole album (Lights) is excellent really.

**Rated T** for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

_Italics _mean thoughts

"_Italics within quotes_" mean telepathy

_Tell the Truth, or someone will tell it for you . . . _

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 16: The Magician's Daughter_

**Metropolis **

**October 25, 13:52 EDT**

In an empty park on the outskirts of Metropolis, a ringed tunnel of light ripped a hole in the sky. A resounding _boom_ echoed around the desolate space as a topless vehicle zoomed out of the light tunnel carrying five individuals. The minute the vehicle was through, the hole abruptly closed. A beefy man with long red hair, a faceless mask of black, tan pants, and an animal pelt draped over his shoulders sat at the helm. He turned back to look at a tall, lean, dark-skinned man in a black and blue suit and visor-less helmet mixed with glowing green. The dark skinned man had a small box-like device clutched in his hand.

"Well, Vykin?"

Vykin looked up from the device in his grip. "Mother-box has found it, Big Bear. What we seek is on world."

"At last we've located the New Genisphere!" a pretty woman with flowing ebony hair and a wispy outfit of pink and black across from Vykin exclaimed, her long hair brushing against her exposed shoulders.

"But we still don't know who stole it in the first place, Dreamer," the man behind Vykin stated, his spiky black hair whipping around the crown of his head from the wind. He wore orange pants and a jacket made of black and purple. An orange open faced mask outlined his cheeks and forehead.

"That may be so, Moonrider, but it won't stop us from taking it back!" the young blonde in a black cowboy hat, brown and blue poncho, and white pants stated. He rose up in his seat across from Moonrider and twirled a six shooter around his finger. "Yee haw! Let's wrangle us up some cowboys!"

"Serifan is right," Big Bear bellowed. "No one can stand against the New Gods of New Genesis. We will take the New Genisphere back."

Dreamer looked to her right at Vykin. "Where on this planet is the sphere being kept?"

"Fourteen hundred miles east of here in a place called Happy Harbor, Rhode Island."

A fiendish smile split Big Bear's face. "Then that is where we shall go. Woe to anyone who stands in our way!"

**x x x**

**Mount Justice **

**October 25, 17:10 EDT**

Wally – along with Artemis, Robin, and Megan – quietly watched Kaldur and Conner spar, while Black Canary shouted out tips and techniques to try. They were all practicing in the zeta chamber today. Without meaning to, Wally's eyes drifted to the blonde.

_No, that's impossible. Only the pure hearted can wield it! Harm made sacrifices to be pure enough for the sword!_

_You think you're the only one who's made sacrifices?! Everything I've done I've done for others!_

The words Harm and Artemis had exchanged three days ago kept coming back to him. Artemis's heart had been pure enough to pick up the sword of Beowulf because she'd made sacrifices. Wally didn't understand how that was possible. Even if he bothered to over look the bit about pure hearts being nothing but supernatural mumbo-jumbo – though even he didn't have an explanation for why Batgirl had been unable to touch it when Artemis had – he couldn't for the life of him figure out what could have made her heart pure enough for the sword. Harm had made his heart pure evil by murdering his innocent sister, the one person he cared most for. If sacrificing the life of another made a heart pure evil, then wouldn't the opposite, obtaining a heart of pure good, be created by sacrificing your own life for others? Of course, if one did that, then they wouldn't be alive to wield the sword anyway. It was a veritable catch 22, and completely maddening for a man of science like Wally.

His eyes slid to the archer once again, casting a sidelong glance at her. Given the extent of the damage Harm had inflicted on her just three days ago, she shouldn't have been suited up for practice with the rest of the team. Yet there she was, as if the harrowing ordeal had never happened. Even her mental state didn't seem affected in the slightest, as though Saturday night had been just that: another Saturday night. Wally couldn't help thinking that earning all the scars that littered her back and chest had probably desensitized her to the point that fits of brutality like that simply didn't faze her anymore. It was . . . really sad . . .

"Recognized, Zatara, 1-1."

The computerized announcement pulled Wally from his thoughts. As the light from the zeta beam faded, Giovanni Zatara stepped out in his trademark magician's tuxedo.

"Zatara, to what do we owe this pleasure?" Black Canary asked as she approached her fellow teammate.

"Batman asked me to meet him here. He requires my assistance with something," he responded vaguely. The eyes of every teen turned to Robin, but he simply shrugged his shoulders. Zatara waved his hand to pull up a mini holo-computer next to the zeta tube he'd just exited and typed in a few codes.

"Access granted. Zatanna Zatara, A03. Authorization, Zatara, 1-1."

The tube flared to life again and a small, lithe figure materialized in the light. When it faded a young girl of 14 with long, shiny black hair, crystal blue eyes, and a school uniform of navy blue and white was left standing in front of everyone.

"Zatanna," Giovanni addressed his daughter, "this is the Team. Team, this is my daughter, Zatanna."

"Welcome to the cave," Kaldur said with a smile. "I am Kaldur'ahm, though you may call me Kaldur. This is Conner, Wally, Artemis, Robin, and M'gann." He pointed to each member in turn.

"You can call me Megan though if you like," Megan added.

"Thanks, you can call me Zee for short if you want. It's nice to meet all of you," Zatanna responded, looking at each member.

"So," Robin said as he popped up in front of her. "A-are you, uh, joining our team then?"

Wally raised an eyebrow at the stuttered speech spilling from his best friends lips. It wasn't like Robin to get flustered. A devilish smile lit Wally's face. After all the teasing he'd endured over his feelings for Artemis, it seemed a little payback might be in order.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Zatara broke in. "This is just a visit," he turned to Black Canary, "though I do apologize for interrupting your training session."

"Nonsense. In fact, Zatanna is welcome to join us if she'd like."

Zatara looked at his daughter. "Well, it is something from which Zatanna could benefit."

"Great!" Robin said, clearly excited by the prospect. "I'd be happy to spare with you, you know, show you a few things."

"Um, yeah, okay," Zatanna said as she brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and followed Robin further into the room.

Robin took in her pleated skirt and blazer. "Although it might be a little hard in your school clothes."

Zatanna glanced down at her attire. "No big." With an elaborate swirl of her arms that culminated in them being raised above her head she said, "Emit ot yrt tuo eht wen kool!" Her school uniform was instantaneously replaced by a black tuxedo jacket with a white dress shirt underneath, a pair of black cloth shorts, gray tights, and black boots. Dainty white gloves completed the look.

"Pretty impressive trick."

Zatanna smirked. "That's just one of my moves."

"I'll bet you've got some good ones." Robin's hands immediately flew to his mouth and he grinned sheepishly. "Whoa, sorry, that came off a little too Wally."

"You can say that again," Artemis added.

"Dude!" Wally cried, embarrassed, as Zatanna laughed.

Giovanni watched the exchange for a moment before turning his attention back to Black Canary. "I will leave Zatanna in your care then."

"Don't worry Zatara, she's in good hands," Black Canary responded.

Robin gave a sincere smile. "Yeah, we'll take good care of her."

Zatara eyed the Boy Wonder critically before saying, "I'm sure you will." He turned on his heel, the tails of his tuxedo jacket flaring out in the process, and left.

In the middle of the room, Robin returned his attention to Zatanna, the others watching with interest. "You ready?" he asked.

Zatanna's lips spread into a mischievous smile. "Are you?"

"I was born ready!" he answered with a smirk as he ran at Zatanna.

"Etaerc Annataz snoisulli!"

Ten identically copies of Zatanna suddenly appeared out of thin air, perfectly mirroring the mannerisms of the original. Robin abruptly stopped, and as one they each placed a gloved hand on their slender hip haughtily.

"Uh, maybe not quite ready for that," he admitted.

The copies all rushed at him, taking advantage of his momentary shock. Shaking off his surprise, Robin started flipping around, kicking and punching the copies that were in range. Each copy he made contact with disappeared into a swirl of smoke on impact.

"You're gonna have to do better than that!" he taunted as he punched a copy in the stomach, dissolving it.

"Okay."

Before he could register that Zatanna's voice came from behind, his legs were swept out from underneath him and he landed on his side.

"Fail, Robin," the computer proclaimed.

As soon as he made contact with the floor he immediately rolled over so that he was once again facing his opponent and his right arm shot out, sending two sets of surujins at her. One wrapped around her ankles, the other around her ribs, pinning her arms to her sides. The force was enough to knock her on her back.

"Fail, Zatanna."

Robin put his hands on the ground behind his head and sprang up onto his feet.

"Sgnidnib, emoc esool!" The cords binding Zatanna loosened and fell away as if they'd been untied. By the time she'd made it to her feet Robin was closing in on her once more.

"Ekoms dna srorrim!" she cried as she waved her hands back and forth in front of her. Dark smoke erupted from the movement, shrouding her figure, but it wasn't enough.

One of Robin's surujins flew through the smoke and she felt it wrap around her torso, pinning her arms once more. She opened her mouth to recant the spell that would remove them, but Robin himself appeared in front of her, quickly snaking one arm around her shoulders while he placed his other gloved hand over her mouth.

"Nice try," he said as the smoke started to dissipate, his tone dripping with victory. "But I've had a lot of practice fighting under the cover of smoke. Batman practically wrote the book on smoke screens." Zatanna tried to say an incantation, but it came out as nothing more than muffled sounds. "And it looks like my hunch was right. No voice equals no spells, and if you're out of tricks then this round goes to me."

He removed his hand from her mouth, but neglected to release his hold on her. Zatanna flashed him a flirty smile. "Eh, getting caught by a cute boy isn't the worst loss I've had."

Robin's grin widened. Then someone cleared their throat.

"Should we leave the two of you alone?" Wally asked, taking great pleasure in the shade of red that flushed Robin's face from his neck to his hair line.

The Boy Wonder quickly dropped his arm from around Zatanna's shoulders and took two steps back.

"Excellent work, both of you," Black Canary said. "Especially you, Zatanna. Your father's been holding out on us."

Zatanna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he's a little on the over protective side."

As Black Canary spoke with Zatanna about her abilities, Wally walked over to Robin grinning. "Sooo, Zatanna, huh?" The younger boy glared, earning a laugh from the redhead.

**x x x **

Zatara found Batman waiting in the briefing room.

"I see you brought Zatanna with you," Batman said having heard the computer announce her arrival.

"Don't take this to mean that I'm letting her join the Team."

"I only take it as a sign that you haven't ruled her membership out completely."

"We'll see. She is my only daughter after all. Now, what is it you wanted to see me about?" Zatara asked, changing the subject.

"This," Batman said as he stepped aside. On the table behind him sat a shiny gold helmet.

"The Helmet of Fate," Zatara murmured knowingly. "What is it doing here?"

"Back in August, the Team went to the Tower of Fate to check on Kent Nelson on behalf of Red Tornado. As you know, he passed away."

"Yes, I paid my respects at his funeral in Salem. _**(1)**_ It was an unfortunate loss; Kent was a great man."

Batman gave a solemn nod. "Agreed. What you might not know is that while there, the Team intercepted Abracadabra and Klarion the Witch Boy who, according to Artemis and Wally, Kent had deemed a Lord of Chaos. They were apparently there to steal the helmet. Most likely Klarion was the real threat, using Abracadabra as a pawn."

Giovanni furrowed his borrow in confusion. "But what would a Lord of Chaos want with a Helmet that represents order?"

"As the foremost authority on magic in the Justice League, I was hoping you could help me figure that out. I have reason to believe that the goal behind acquiring the helmet was to harness the power it possesses like an energy source of some kind."

"An energy source for what?"

"I don't know, but would that be possible?"

The magician rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "The power of any object, animate or inanimate, can be harnessed if the person trying to harness it has strong enough magic and knows the right spells. So hypothetically speaking, yes, Klarion could draw out the raw power contained in the helmet. How he would have done that, however, is beyond even my scope of understanding I'm afraid."

"I'm more concerned with what he was planning to use the Helmet's power for than how he would have harnessed it. Despite the Team thwarting his plan to steal the Helmet of Fate, I have a feeling it's only going to be a minor setback in the grand scheme of things," Batman admitted, voice ominous. He picked the Helmet of Fate up, intending to return it to the souvenir room. "We'll have to continue this discussion another time. Our presence is required at the Watch Tower for the meeting."

The pair stopped by the souvenir room to return the Helmet of Fate to its previous spot on the shelf before heading for the zeta chamber. The members of the team plus Black Canary were all still present, wrapping up their practice session.

"Time to go, Zatanna," Zatara said, beckoning his daughter to him.

"What, already?" Robin asked, voice loaded with disappointment.

"I'm afraid so. League business at the Watch Tower," he explained as Red Tornado silently whirled down from his loft apartment to join them.

Zatanna let out a groan. "Meaning I get to be bored to tears sitting in the library at the Hall of Justice by myself."

"Well if that's the case, why don't you just stay here and hang out with us?" Robin asked.

"That's a great idea!" Megan chimed in. "We'd be happy to keep you company, if you'd like of course."

"I'd love to stick around and hang with you guys." Zatanna turned to her father. "So, can I?"

Giovanni fixed his daughter with a level stare. "Well, I suppose it's okay," he finally relented. "I'll swing by to get you as soon as our meeting is over."

Zatanna gave her father a hug and a peck on the cheek before he walked into the zeta tube with the others.

"Recognized, Zatara, 1-1. Recognized, Batman, 0-2. Recognized, Black Canary, 1-3. Recognized, Red Tornado, 1-6."

The mechanisms gave a grinding whir and in a flash of light, the four members of the Justice League were gone. Zatanna turned back to the other teens gathered in the zeta chamber. "So, what do you guys do around here for fun?"

Megan smiled brightly. "We have all kinds of things. Come on, we'll show you around."

The group started walking, Megan at the lead. Robin hurried to walk next to Zatanna, knocking Wally out of the way in the process. The speedster looked at Artemis and gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes.

"So, Zee, you think your dad will let you join our team?" Robin asked.

Zatanna sighed. "I don't know. He's just soooo over protective. That spell I used on you, the one that made multiple copies of me? I have to use a scaled down version just to get out of the house sometimes . . ." Her eyes bounced from Robin to the other members as she spoke. "How did all of you end up on a team together?"

"Me, KF, and Aqualad responded to an emergency call on behalf of the Justice League when they were preoccupied with something else. We ended up finding Superboy," Robin pointed at Conner, then he pointed at Megan. "Miss Martian came shortly after. And finally Artemis made the Team after saving KF." Artemis shot Wally a satisfied smirk and a flush of embarrassment spread across his cheeks as he pointedly glanced away.

I recognize you," she said, her eyes swinging back to Robin, "Kid Flash, and Aqualad thanks to the news, but I've never seen the rest of you."

"Oh, well, I'm Martian Manhunter's new protégé. He's my uncle," Megan revealed. "Conner is a clone of Superman, and Artemis is working under Green Arrow's tutelage."

"So, what kind of abilities do you have?"

"I'm a telepath. I can also go invisible and I have telekinetic abilities. I can't density phase shift though," Megan explained. "It's still too advanced for me. And Conner is just like Superman, except he can't fly or use hea-"

"I'm _nothing_ like Superman!"

Conner's outburst startled everyone, bring the group to an abrupt halt. He glared at them all for a moment before stomping off down a different hall.

"Uh . . ." Zatanna said, unsure what to think.

"Don't mind Superboy," Robin said.

"Yeah, he's always moody," Wally added with a dismissive wave of his hand. "He's got clone complex issues."

"Right," Zatanna said, sounding unconvinced. "Note to self: don't mention Superman to Superboy." When it was clear Megan wasn't going to continue, Zatanna looked at Artemis. "What about you? What's your ability?"

Artemis blinked, clearly caught off guard. "I'm an archer," she jerked her thumb over her shoulder, "kind of thought the bow and quiver full of arrows on my back was self explanatory," she replied facetiously.

"Well, duh, I got the archer part. But what else can you do?"

The others watched curiously, bouncing their attention back and forth between each girl.

"What do you mean 'what else'?" Artemis asked, an edge to her voice. "Is being an archer not enough or something?"

Zatanna held her hands up in a placating gesture. "No, being an archer is great. It's just . . . I can feel a power coming from you, like a magical aura, that's all."

Artemis's eyes widened a smidgen in surprise before she managed to mask it entirely. "I don't have any powers," she responded brusquely.

"Yeah, no, Artemis doesn't have any powers," Megan repeated, her voice an octave higher, almost as though she were nervous.

"But I can feel-"

"I don't know what you_ think_ you feel," Artemis cut in, voice frosty, "but I'm not a meta-human. There's nothing special about me." She turned away and stalked back the way they'd all come without uttering another word on the matter. Wally stared after her retreating figure, his brows furrowed in concern.

"And then there were five," Zatanna said disheartened as she watched the seemingly offended archer skulk around the corner and out of sight.

Robin groaned. At this rate, the new girl would feel so unwelcome she wouldn't want to join the team even if her father would let her.

"My apologies for my fellow teammates' behavior," Kaldur said. "Conner and Artemis can be-"

"Stubborn?" Wally supplied. "Brash? Standoffish? Anomic? Touchy? Pighea-"

"I think she gets it," Robin deadpanned, stopping Wally. The speedster shrugged but said no more. "Come on, why don't we show you the rec room? We've got a wicked air hockey table."

The group of five continued on down the hall.

**x x x **

_**I'll show you all the places I'm dreaming of**_

_**I'll take you to the ocean, I'll bring the sun**_

_**We are seventeen we have just begun**_

_**I have loved a five, four, and then some**_

_**But you are the one . . . **_

A haunting harp melody accompanied by piano rifts and heavy base drumming poured from Artemis's earbuds, consuming her as she sat on the common room couch – eyes closed, still in uniform – a green iPod nano loosely clutched in her right hand.

_**You have stolen all my senses**_

_**There's a fever in my heart**_

_**And you are taking my defenses**_

_**You are pulling me apart**_

_**Forever we're young and we are dying**_

_**And you will be spilling all our blood**_

_**So I will take away my feelings **_

_**I will be an animal . . . **_

_**I'll tie you in my ar-**_

The music in her right ear dropped off suddenly as the earbud resting there was pulled from her ear. She immediately hit the stop button and opened her eyes. The song she'd been listening to always made her think of Wally, of them, not that there was a 'them' to think about really, and there he was, hovering over her, her missing earbud dangling from between his finger and thumb as if just listening to that song had summoned him. He sat down without her invitation and lightly dropped the white earbud into her lap. She quickly wrapped the cord around her iPod and set it to rest on the coffee table in front of them.

"So . . .," he began, "Zatanna seems nice. Not really deserving of the attitude you gave her anyway."

Artemis sighed. She hadn't meant to be so rude to the new girl. She'd just been so caught off guard when she'd point blank insisted Artemis had some kind of power, and in front of the others at that. Even Megan sounded nervous when she tried to reassure Zatanna that Artemis didn't have any supernatural abilities. It was no excuse for her behavior though. The new girl hadn't meant any harm.

"You're right."

Wally gave a satisfied sigh, a goofy smile on his face. "That's the second time I've heard you say I was right."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Don't get used to it."

They sat in a companionable silence for a moment. Then Wally spoke.

"You know, this might sound kind of cheesy, but . . . you are special, Artemis." At Artemis's less than impressed look Wally stumbled on. "I mean, being a meta-human is awesome, but you . . ." he took a deep breath and looked her square in the eye, "you do the job of a hero on raw talent and hard work, something very few people can do." Wally's voice dropped a notch, the quality gruffer. "To be honest, I don't know if there's anything about you that isn't special."

Artemis's cheeks tinged a pretty shade of pink at the sincerity in his voice. She dropped her gaze to her lap, too embarrassed by his praise and the intensity of his stare to maintain eye contact. She was suddenly extremely aware of the fact that she was sitting there alone with Wally and it made her unbearably self conscious. She couldn't be alone with him and _not _reflect on the passionate kiss they'd shared the night of the Homecoming incident a week ago, no matter how much she didn't want to. With the way his bright green eyes were locked on her profile, she had a feeling she wasn't the only one thinking about it.

Artemis cleared her throat, but did not lift her eyes. "Listen, Wally-"

A shrill alarm erupted over the intercom. The feminine PC voice calmly announced, "Intruder alert. Bioship hanger has been breached. All available personnel please respond."

Artemis's head whipped up, her wide eyes mirroring Wally's as the computer repeated the message on a loop.

Mount Justice was under attack.

_**To be continued . . . **_

_**(1) **_In issue 11 of the tie-in comic, they show Kent Nelson's funeral in Salem (assumedly Massachusetts) on August 21st (two days after the events of ep 7, Denial). Zatara is shown in the crowd of heroes who have come to pay their respects.

**A/N: **Zatanna has finally made an appearance, so yay :) I always liked her. I'm taking some liberties and combining a few different episode elements into one here, hopefully in a way everyone enjoys. Next chapter might take a while since I tend to spend more time on fight scenes and there is clearly going to be one. As usual, thanks for all the kind reviews and support! Over 300 reviews! Whoot whoot! :)

_**SakuraJade**_


	17. Threads of Fate

**A/N: **Just read the final YJ comic. So sad they aren't making anymore. And this Saturday is the FINAL ep of the show too, so enjoy it :'(

Anyway, prepare for about 6 pages of fighting lol Hope it lives up to your expectations! **FYI, the battle takes place in the same room the Reds were holding the Team hostage.** Just thought I'd mention that to give you all a better picture in your mind.

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice. DC Comics, Warner Brothers, and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

**Rated T** for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

_Italics _mean thoughts

"_Italics within quotes_" mean telepathy

_Fate leads he who follows it, and drags he who resists . . ._

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 17: Threads of Fate_

**Mount Justice **

**October 25, 16:48 EDT**

"Intruder alert. Bioship hanger has been breached. All available personnel please respond."

Wally and Artemis wordlessly sprang up from the couch and tore out of the common room, Wally only a few steps in front of Artemis, not willing to race ahead and leave her behind.

"Who the hell could break into the cave?" Artemis huffed, mind reeling.

"No idea, but we're about to find out."

They rushed into a wide, high ceilinged natural cavern, located just outside the bioship hanger, with a small pond, massively tall cement platform, and two zeta tubes that were currently off-line thanks to the attack, and immediately jumped apart as a surge of lightning struck the spot they'd just been standing in. The threat had clearly advanced from the bioship hanger. Artemis somersaulted to the right, pulling her bow and notching it with a trick arrow so that she had it ready to fire as she made it back onto her feet. She did a quick sweep of the room with her sharp grey eyes. Zatanna and the other members of the team – minus Conner – reached the cavern from an adjacent hallway and stopped to eye the intruders warily. There were five of them, and at least four of them reeked of raw power. All five had a young, otherworldly appearance to them that set Artemis's nerves on end. Kaldur suddenly stepped forward to address them.

"Who are you? State your business with us," he demanded, voice filled with authority.

A hulking man almost twice the size of Superboy with long red hair stepped forward and stared menacingly at Kaldur. "We are the Forever People of New Genesis!" he proclaimed. "We have come to reclaim what you stole and destroy you for your crime!"

He didn't wait for a response and charged at Kaldur. Before he could lay a hand on the Atlantean, Conner barreled out of a different hallway and tacked the bigger man like a linebacker sacking a quarterback. The pair rolled across the floor, Conner already swinging. Enraged, the Forever People moved to help their friend and the Team rushed forward to intercept them. Pandemonium ensued as a free-for-all erupted. Artemis took a step farther into the room, but a dark haired man in purple blocked her path. She could see sparks of electricity bouncing around his gloved fingertips and inwardly groaned. She wasn't looking forward to being electrocuted two fights in a row.

"They call me Mark Moonrider," the man said as he slowly stalked towards her.

Artemis scoffed, her arrow trained on him. "Tell it to someone who cares," she replied as she loosed the arrow.

He dodged but she'd already let two more arrows fly, this time steel tipped ones in the hopes of pinning him by his clothes to the nearby wall. To her utter shock, the arrows halted in mid air, turned, and sailed towards her head. She jumped to the side, avoiding their deadly arch. Moonrider was smirking, his eyes looking at something behind her. She whirled around to see a dark skinned man standing within arm's reach. She backed away a few paces.

"Nice one, Vykin," Moonrider commented.

With a wave of Vykin's hand, all of Artemis's steel tipped arrows levitated out of her quiver, making it clear to Artemis that the man named Vykin had magnetic powers of some sort. Light glinted off the steel tips as Vykin positioned them all at Artemis. Before he could force the arrows to impale the blonde, a wave of water from the nearby pond engulfed him, sweeping him off his feet. His concentration broken, Artemis's arrows harmlessly dropped to the floor. She quickly scooped them up and dumped them back in her quiver as Kaldur approached the trio, waterbearers out, but empty. The wave dispersed and Vykin spluttered, rising to his feet.

"Let us see how you fair against my weapons," Kaldur said as two swords made of clear blue water materialized from his waterbearers. He charged at Vykin, leaving Artemis to handle Moonrider.

A few feet away, Robin back flipped three times, each flip causing the bullets from Serifan's cosmic cartridges to narrowly miss their mark.

"Stand still you no good, dirty vermin!" Serifan growled in frustration.

Robin cackled merrily. "Yeah, 'cause that'll happen."

A bolt of electricity strayed from the fight between Artemis and Moonrider, forcing Robin to haphazardly dodge to the right. His rhythm thrown off, it was the perfect opening for his opponent. Serifan released another bullet and a shimmery yellow haze exploded forth, encasing the Boy Wonder in a translucent sphere.

"Yee-haw! I gotcha, you rotten scallywag!"

"Etaerc Dik Hsalf snoisulli!" Zatanna said. Kid Flash was on bended knee in front of her, her hand touching his shoulder. A dozen identical copies of Kid Flash sprang up out of thin air and charged at Serifan, cutting his victory short. He unleashed a round of bullets at the speedster copies, all but two missing their mark.

Big Bear wrestled against Superboy and managed to slam him into the wall of concrete that made up the massive base of a giant cement platform not far from the pond. For a millisecond the stone became soft and malleable and Conner sank into it, then it hardened all around him, trapping him. Having neutralized Superboy, Big Bear turned his attention elsewhere. His eyes landed on Serifan, Kid Flash, and Zatanna. He let out a low growl and stomped towards them.

With Serifan distracted by Kid Flash and his copies, Zatanna approached Robin's force field. She put her slender fingertips against it and opened her mouth, but a meaty hand cracked her in the back of the head before she could utter a word, and she crumpled to the ground.

"Zatanna!" Robin cried, voice muffled by Serifan's barrier, his hands pressed against the unbreakable bubble.

Big Bear raised his balled fists above his head ready to hit her defenseless form again when he was lifted off the ground by an invisible force. Half way across the room, Megan's eyes glowed green, her right hand held out in front of her. With a quick flick of her wrist, Big Bear was hurled clear across the room, his whole body colliding with the far wall. He tumbled to the ground in a heap. She took a step, intent on attacking him again, but the woman in pink with hair blacker than night cut her off.

"We don't have to do this," Megan said, in an attempt to reason with the beautiful woman.

"Yes we do. You must pay for your thievery."

"We didn't steal anything!"

"Lies!"Dreamer accused. "You will be punished for that too. I will turn the sweetest of your dreams into the stuff of nightmares."

Kid Flash and his seven remaining copies stepped up alongside Megan, arms crossed over his chest. Serifan was lying on the ground where Kid Flash had left him, less than useless now that the cowboy's six shooters were sitting at the bottom of the pond where Wally had thrown them before knocking him on his butt. "Oh yeah? How exactly do you plan to do that, huh?"

With a wave of her hand, the seven Kid Flash copies winked out of existence, unable to fool a master of illusions. A pointed glare directed at Kid Flash had him running around, arms flailing, as he yelled about hundreds of spiders crawling over his body that only he could see.

"You're an illusionist," Megan stated.

"And you're a Martian," Dreamer countered.

Dark orange flames erupted around Megan, encircling her until she was trapped. The searing heat immediately zapped her strength and she sank to her knees, sweat beading her forehead. Despite her knowledge that the fire was nothing but an illusion, the flames that danced around her felt life threateningly real.

"M'gann!" Conner called from his position in the wall. He gritted his teeth and pulled with all his might. A few small cracks formed on the sold surface, weakening his prison, but the wall still held.

Not far from Megan, Robin banged his fists on the force field still holding him, calling out to Zatanna. She finally groaned and looked up to see Big Bear lumbering towards them again. She hurriedly reached her hand out and touched the yellow sphere once again.

"Ecrof dleif etapissid!" she shouted. The yellow glow surrounding the Boy Wonder instantly disintegrated in a fizzle of color.

Without missing a beat, Robin threw a smoke bomb at his feet. As the smoke covered their forms, he helped Zatanna up.

"Thanks," she said.

"Right back at ya."

The pair heard the giant redhead snarl in frustration, and as the smoke started to disperse, they knew it'd only be a matter of seconds before he had them.

With the last vestiges of her energy, Zatanna whispered, "Etativel su." She and Robin shot up off the ground and out of the smoke. Together they landed on the corner of the tall concrete platform. Head throbbing, Zatanna tipped forward and it was all Robin could do to get her on the ground gently.

To the side of the cement platform, Artemis huffed, slightly winded from the last volley of kicks and punches she and Moonrider had exchanged. The two had been going back and forth physically, electric bursts and arrows interspersed in the mix.

"I have to admit, your skills are admirable, but there's no way you will be able to beat a new god of New Genesis!"

At that exact moment, Wally sprinted by Moonrider screaming, arms brushing all down his body. The hallucinating speedster drew Moonrider's attention for only a moment, but it was all Artemis needed. She front flipped at her opponent, thighs landing on his shoulders. Then she hooked her legs around each other behind his neck and swung the upper half of her body down. Her weight pulled him forward and she placed her hands on the ground as if she were doing a handstand. She used his falling momentum to pull him over her. He landed on the ground on his back, with her straddling him. She immediately pulled a trick arrow from her quiver and slammed him in the chest with it. The pressure activated it and foam spewed forth. Artemis hurriedly jumped off him as the goo spread, covering most of his body before hardening.

She towered over him with a smirk. "You were saying?"

Wally stopped not too far from Conner, and sighed in relief as the last of the imaginary spiders fell from his suit. "Ugh, finally. That was gross." He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see part of Conner struggling against the rock he was embedded in.

Kid Flash let out a low whistle. "Not a good look for you, Supey."

"Forget about me. Go help M'gann! That witch is doing something to her!"

Wally followed Superboy's line of sight and took off when his green eyes landed on Megan's hunched form sitting on the ground. He swooped through the fire Megan was seeing and scooped her up as he passed. Instead of running away, he continued straight, plowing right into Dreamer. Her body hit the ground hard and tumbled a few feet away from the force of the hit. Before Wally could gloat, he and Megan were slammed into the ground – Megan jarred loose from his grip – an unseen force holding them down. It was so heavy Wally could hardly take air into his lungs. A tilt of his head revealed the blonde Cowboy at the edge of the pond, soaking wet, his six shooters back in his hands. The barrel of one was smoking, as though it'd just been fired.

"Your new accelerated gravity bullets are rather effective," Vykin said, suddenly joining Serifan's side.

Wally glanced at Megan. She hadn't moved since they'd been forced to the ground under the weight of too much gravity. He gritted his teeth and forced his head to turn. His eyes landed on Artemis fighting against Big Bear. She sent a quick jab at his solar plexus – too short to reach his face – but he moved aside, wrapped his arm around her waist as her momentum carried her passed, and easily flung her aside as though she weighed nothing. With the archer out of the way, he reached down to his teammate covered in hard foam from one of Artemis's trick arrows and held his massive palm to it. The hardened substance immediately turned to a thin liquid, and ran off his body like water. Together the two men advanced on Artemis. She quickly notched another trick arrow and shot it at the ground near Big Bear's feet. A greenish gas spiraled out of it, quickly rising up to his face. Within seconds he fell to his knees violently coughing, though it didn't seem to knock him out cold like it was supposed to. The tall guy with electricity coursing around his fingers grabbed her by the neck and slammed her body into the nearest wall, holding her there, her feet dangling a couple feet off the ground. Her eyes widened as his hands started squeezing. She scratched at his fingers, but they stayed firmly in place, slowly choking the life out of her.

"Artemis . . ." Wally rasped out, the pressure making his lungs feel as though they were about to collapse.

With Conner stuck in the wall, and Zatanna, Robin, and Kaldur nowhere in sight, they were in serious trouble.

Just when Wally thought they were done for, a blinding flash of golden light flooded the room accompanied by a deep, booming voice. "Enough! Order shall be maintained!"

The golden light snaked around Serifan and Vykin and yanked them away from Wally and Megan. Wally saw the same thing happen to Big Bear and Dreamer. The golden rope-like light wrapped around Moonrider's waist as well and dragged him away from Artemis. She slid to the ground, gasping for breath, her left hand rubbing the tender skin around her neck. The sound of shattering rock filled the room from the other direction. Wally turned his head and Conner was suddenly in his line of sight. He'd finally cracked through the solid rock wall. He pulled Megan free of the area temporarily affected by Sarifan's accelerated gravity bullet, then pulled Wally free as well. The redhead took several deep breaths, enjoying the feel of his lungs expanding to full capacity, then he staggered over to Artemis and helped her to her feet.

"You okay?" he asked, eyes abundantly concerned.

"I'll live," she replied, voice raspier than usual.

All five of the intruders were huddled together on the ground, golden chains made of light still trapping them when the blinding brightness finally began to recede. Wally and Artemis looked up, shocked to see Dr. Fate floating above them. Wally immediately did a quick scan of the room for the missing members of their team. He saw Robin sitting on the edge of the cement platform watching with curiosity, an unconscious Zatanna next to him. The only person he couldn't find was . . .

"It's Kaldur," Artemis said, beating him to it. "He must have run to the souvenir room for it sometime during the fight."

"Dude . . ." Wally whispered, his voice filled with sadness. "Nabu will never let him go."

"What do you mean?"

Before Wally could answer the blonde, Dr. Fate descended from above them, coming to land in the middle of the room. "Fate has seen fit to intervene on your behalf."

"Great, but what about Kaldur's fate!?" Wally cried indignantly.

Dr. Fate turned to look at him, but his eyes fell on Artemis instead. He stared at her intently for a moment, then he approached her in three fluid steps. Though she looked uncomfortable under the weight of his gaze, she held her ground.

"I can see everyone's fate but my own . . . and yours," he stated to her and Wally's surprise. "Your thread appears to have abruptly ended a long time ago, and what exists now is too broken up and muddled to read. I have never encountered something such as this before." His eyes moved to Wally's. "But I can see her in yours. And though her role is unclear, she is certainly present, as if your thread is joined with hers." He leveled his gaze at Wally. "You will suffer great despair and turmoil, the likes of which you have never experienced before."

An eerie chill swept up Wally's spine at Dr. Fate's words. He'd normally cast aside such supernatural notions like fate and destiny, but based on the unexplainable things he'd seen as of late, he found it difficult to completely brush off his warning.

Overcoming her shock, Artemis glared at the sentient being in front of them. "We don't care about our fate right now; we care about Kaldur's. Are you going to let him go, or what?"

"Nabu won't release him, Artemis. He almost didn't release me and I hate magic." He sighed dishearteningly. "Kaldur will be trapped inside of Dr. Fate forever."

Dr. Fate silently stared at the pair for a moment longer, then he raised his hands to his helmet and pulled it up, revealing Kaldur's face once more as Dr. Fate's blue and gold costume faded away.

Wally and Artemis sighed in relief.

"Nabu let you go," Wally stated.

"He almost did not, but your friend Kent was most helpful. He says hello." Wally smiled. "He was also wondering about the progress of your search for a spitfire of your own. He said you'd know what that meant."

Wally coughed uncomfortably, aware of Artemis's questioning eyes on his back. Wally decided to change the subject. "So, what do we do with them?" he asked, turning his gaze on the five, angry intruders.

"It is clear they think we stole something from them and are currently in possession of it," Kaldur said.

With Conner's help, Megan rose to her feet. "I can try to read their minds to find out." She approached the Forever People, all five steadfastly glaring at her. Her eyes turned green as she concentrated. A moment later a look of utter shock covered her face.

"They think we stole Sphere!"

"What?!" Conner growled.

"How dare you deny it!" Big Bear bellowed. "We tracked her signal straight to this very place."

"Well-wait, Sphere's a she?" Wally questioned.

Conner ignored the speedster's question. "We didn't steal it, we found it."

"So you thought it was okay to just keep it!?"

"We didn't know where it came from and it was a heck of a lot safer in our possession than the people who had it!"

At that moment, Sphere rolled into the room and down the ramp located in the middle of the staircase on the west side of the room, beeping and whirring as it moved.

"The New Genisphere!" Dreamer cried in relief.

The golden chains of light binding the five Forever People finally faded away, and they hurriedly approached the sphere. Dreamer hugged the mechanical ball while Vykin placed a loving hand on it. Sphere beeped several times and Vykin pulled a small electronic box from his pocket. The box dinged and he gasped in surprise.

"She says they speak the truth, that they are not the ones who stole her."

Big Bear turned to the Team, a sheepish expression on his face. "Apologies! The Forever People embrace you all as friends, allies, and worth warriors."

Conner crossed his arms over his chest. "Just like that we're supposed to be cool? You're kidding, right?"

"Dude's gotta point," Wally said. "You did just spend a half hour trying to decimate us."

"It was a misunderstanding," Moonrider explained.

"Pretty painful misunderstanding," Artemis grumbled, her hand absentmindedly rubbing her still sore neck.

Dreamer clasped her hands forlornly. "We do apologize for the misunderstanding and any trouble we might have caused you. We'll take the New Genisphere and be on our way."

Conner narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me?"

"We thank you for rescuing her from those who stole her, and for taking care of her all this time, but we must take the New Genisphere home now," Dreamer explained.

"No, no way!"

"Why should we leave her with you?!" Serifan suddenly asked. "To us she lives, to you she's merely technology."

"It's not like that."

Big Bear crossed his arms over his chest. "Then what is it like?!"

"We bonded, okay?!" Superboy yelled, to the surprise of everyone.

Everyone was silent for a moment, then Vykin smiled and extended his hand to Conner. "In fact, it is. You may keep her as a show of our regret for the battle that took place between us, and a sign of faith."

Conner glanced at Vykin's outstretched hand, then took it in a firm grasp.

**x x x**

Most of the Team was outside seeing the Forever People off and gushing over Sphere after the Forever People showed them the nifty motorcycle-like vehicle she could transform into – to which Wally rechristened her the 'Super Cycle' – but Artemis was in the cave, opting out of the farewell. Truth be told, she didn't feel much like socializing after what Dr. Fate had said about her fate, or lack thereof. She knew why he saw her fate as having ended abruptly years ago: because it had, the day she'd tried to stop a petty thief from robbing her uncle's temple in Thailand, and had been killed in the attempt. It made sense, but it didn't stop her from feeling as though she were adrift with no clear path. It was kind of depressing. What bothered her even more, however, was what Dr. Fate had said to Wally. Her fate might not be clear, but Wally's was and it involved her, along with untold pain and suffering from the sound of things.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that her presence in Wally's fate would be the cause of the despair and turmoil Dr. Fate spoke of. It just confirmed what she'd feared the moment they'd started getting close.

The blonde had almost reached her quarters to change when someone called her from behind. She turned to see Zatanna standing at the other end of the hall.

"You got a second?"

Artemis shrugged. "Sure. How are you feeling?"

"Better. Using all that magic always takes a lot out of me. If I'd have known we were going to fight a bunch of near gods I wouldn't have used so much sparring with Robin," Zatanna laughed as she approached the archer. "Anyway, I wanted to say I'm sorry for almost blowing your secret with the others."

"I don't have any secrets."

"Seriously?" Zatanna deadpanned.

"Look, I already told you-"

"Yeah, I know what you said, doesn't make it true though. I know great power when I sense it, and you have great power. I don't know exactly what it is, just that it's there. And I wanted you to know that I'm sorry for bringing it up in front of the others, and that I won't bring it up again. If I'd have known it was a secret," she said the word 'secret' pointedly, "I never would have said anything in the first place."

Artemis raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise showing on her face. "Really?"

Zatanna shook her head. "It's not my secret to tell. But . . ." Zatanna paused to collect her thoughts before pressing on, "if you ever _do_ want to talk about it . . . well, if anyone understands magic abilities, it's me."

"Uh, thanks," Artemis replied.

"Sure." Zatanna grinned. "Anyway it was nice hanging out with you guys today. A lot more exciting than sitting in the library at the Hall of Justice anyway."

Artemis smiled in return and said, "I can imagine."

The overhead computer announced Zatara and Red Tornado's arrival in the zeta tube chamber and Zatanna sighed. "Hopefully it's not the last time considering how bad my dad is gonna freak when he finds out what went down here after he left." With a wave, Zatanna turned back down the hall and disappeared.

Artemis smiled softly at the empty spot. She really hoped Zatara would let his daughter join the Team permanently. She was sure Zatanna was going to fit in great.

_**To be continued . . .**_

**A/N:** Well, I hope everyone liked the melee brawl between the Team and the Forever People. I personally thought the original ep with the Forever People (Disordered) would have been more interesting if the Team had had to fight them (truth be told, I found most of the eps that revolved around Superboy to be rather boring) so there's my re-write of sorts. I really hope it met everyone's expectations. I'd love to hear what you thought :)

**For the record, though I do have an idea for Red Arrow (someone asked about that in a review), I will NOT be bringing Rocket into the mix.** For one thing, we only saw her in, like, 3 eps while on the Team and ZERO issues of the comic, so I don't know her well enough to write for her. Second, I just plain don't care. She didn't interest me at all, and I thought the Team was plenty big before they even added Zatanna (but Zee ended up being awesome so I was happy they added her in the end) and felt the addition of Rocket was unnecessary and ultimately pointless since we didn't even get to know her seeing as by S2 she was in the JL. So don't be looking for her in this fic because you won't see her. Sorry.

_**SakuraJade**_


	18. Like a Bullet to the Brain

**A/N: **Sooo, who else is still whining about losing Wally in the finale YJ ep? I mean it's devastating anyway, but thanks to the series cancellation we'll never know if they were going to find a way to bring him back to Artemis :( And the lack of new stuff is leaving me thoroughly uninspired for my own story =/ I miss this show so much!

As for my fic, well, we are back to ideas I originally had for this story before S1 was even completed, so I apologize for the parallelism to S2 (and some of the later eps of S1). I swear I came up with these things 2 years ago (can't believe TW is over 2 yrs!), well before they happened in canon. Imagine my utter shock when some of the ideas I had for my fanfic started taking place in the actual show. I about died lol I've done what I can to make it as different as possible, but I can't change it completely or it would no longer be the story it is, and thus wouldn't make sense in the long run. So I'm sorry if anything feels a little redundant :(

That being said, we've reached a turning point, so be ready for some angst . . .

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice. DC Comics, Warner Brothers, and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

**Rated T** for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

_Italics _mean thoughts

"_Italics within quotes_" mean telepathy

_Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened . . . _

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 18: Like a Bullet to the Brain_

**Mount Justice **

**October 29, 20:59 EDT**

Wally briskly walked through the halls of Mount Justice. After practice, Batman had sent a message to the members of the team instructing them to meet in the briefing room promptly at 9pm for a mission, and as usual, the fastest kid alive was cutting it awfully close. By the time he walked through the door, everyone else was already present, including Artemis, much to his surprise. She hadn't been back at the cave since the Forever People attacked four days ago. He tried to catch her eyes, but she kept them firmly glued to the Dark Knight, awaiting his instructions. Batman wordlessly gazed at Wally for a moment before he turned his back on the group and began typing on the halo-computer. A map of the United States appeared on the giant screen, then the picture zoomed in on the East Coast. A red dot began to blink on the coast of Maine.

"On October 15th, it was confirmed that the Shadows are still in possession of the Kobra Venom you discovered and destroyed during your mission to Santa Presca back in August," he said.

Wally glanced at Artemis and his gaze softened. Her dark grey eyes were locked on the floor, her posture stiff, and he knew she was thinking about the terrible fate that had befallen her friend Evan that day. He found himself wondering, as he had several times before, if, in Artemis's mind, that tragic event always over shadowed the kiss they had shared that same evening.

"We are still unsure of what they intend to do with it, but we believe they have a large supply stored here." Batman hit a key and a picture of a lone lighthouse on the edge of a jagged cliff appeared. "You are to take the bioship to this location, confiscate a small sample, and destroy the rest of it. Suit up and meet in the bioship hanger in half an hour. Dismissed."

The group shuffled out of the briefing room. As everyone split up to prepare for the mission, Wally grabbed Artemis's wrist to stop her. She looked at him, here thin eyebrows pulled down in question.

"Kind of surprised to see you, I was starting to think you weren't on the Team anymore given how you've almost missed a week's worth of practice sessions again. You weren't even here for the one earlier today."

He was right. She hadn't been back at the cave since Tuesday. Today was Saturday. She'd missed their Thursday evening practice and the one they have every Saturday, but this time, for the life of her, she didn't know _why._ She remembered being summoned to Infinity Island for a training exercise there – Ras al Ghul wanted her up to the Shadows' par after all – but she couldn't remember any of the actual training. She woke up this morning in an empty room, four days after coming to Infinity Island, with Cheshire, who told her the other members hadn't gone easy on her due to her special ability. When she expressed concern over her lack of memories for the last four days, her sister gave an unconcerned shrug and blamed it on the blunt force trauma she'd sustained to the head during one of the sparring sessions. None of it sat right with the blonde however. Despite how disorienting dying and resurrecting always was, she'd never once dealt was complete and utter memory loss.

Wally was still staring at her, waiting for an answer. His eyes narrowed with scrutiny as though he could see the gears in her head turning, trying to whip up an answer for him. "You gonna try and blame your absence on Green Arrow again?"

Artemis yanked her wrist from his grip with a scoff. "Tch, like you're one to talk," she bit back.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You always want answers from me, but you don't want to give any up yourself. How many times did I ask you what happened when you put on the Helmet of Fate, huh?" Wally had the decency to look down, but she continued to stare at him heatedly. "How could you deliberately not tell us about Nabu trying to keep your body? Withholding that from the Team almost cost Kaldur his freedom!" Artemis cried. She didn't know what she was more upset about: the fact that Kaldur was almost trapped as Dr. Fate, or that Wally hadn't talked to her about the ordeal in the first place. "Why didn't you tell us? Why didn't you tell _me_!?"

"Because I was scared, okay?!" Artemis stared at him silently. He looked away and pushed a hand roughly through his red locks. "He almost kept my body, my subconscious locked in an empty void where I could do nothing but watch, and it scared the hell out of me to be so powerless. So the last thing I wanted to do was talk about it, because talking about it was admitting that it almost happened." He glanced at the blonde from the corner of his eye. "We can't all be fearless like you."

Artemis snorted. "You think I'm fearless? Based on what?"

"Oh jee, I don't know, how about the fact that youcharge headlong into danger all the time with seemingly no thought to the fact that your actions could get you killed, like you don't even care!"

"Just because I don't fear death doesn't mean I'm fearless," she argued.

"Oh yeah? Is that why you refuse to talk about what happened between us after the Homecoming dance?" Wally asked, unable to let it go. "Because you're afraid of what it means?"

Artemis shifted uncomfortably, caught off guard by the sudden reminder of the intimate moment they shared two weeks ago, but it only took her a few seconds to regain her composure. "No, I don't want to talk about it because there's nothing to talk about. So we kissed, so what? People kiss every day. It doesn't always mean something. Why do you have to make a big deal about it?"

Though Wally's face was a mask of calm, his green eyes were a spiral of hurt and anger, and Artemis flinched at the sight. She hated that she put that look there, that she made him feel that way with her words. It always left a dull ache in her own heart.

"You know what, fine. Pretend it didn't mean anything, pretend it didn't even happen, I don't care." Wally took a few steps down the hall before he paused. Without looking back he said, "Never letting anybody in, always pushing everyone away . . . It must be pretty lonely being you," then he left.

Artemis let out a disheartened sigh as she watched him disappear around the corner. "You have no idea," she whispered.

**x x x **

A half hour later the team was suited up and assembling in the bioship hanger when Megan floated in solo, a forlorn look on her usually happy face.

"M'gann, where is Conner?" Kaldur asked.

"He's not coming. We got into an argument and he took off on the Supercycle."

Artemis frowned in concern. It hadn't escaped her notice that the two had been arguing off and on ever since the night she'd encountered Harm, when Megan and Conner had returned to the cave from a Halloween party so absorbed in an argument of some kind, they blew right by the others without a word of acknowledgement. She wasn't sure why, but for some reason, Conner seemed to be distancing himself from Megan with arguments and indifference. Artemis glanced at Wally out of the corner of her eye. It was a tactic she herself was all too familiar with.

"Do we go after him?" Wally asked.

Kaldur shook his head. "We will do the mission as planned without him. He will have to answer to Batman for his insubordination when he returns," he stated, and moved to board the bioship with the others.

"But what if he doesn't return?" Megan whispered. It was a personal fear that had been steadfastly growing each time one of their arguments led to Conner disappearing for hours on end. He was so short tempered and hot headed that she couldn't help seeing his permanent disappearance as a real possibility.

A small hand landed on her left shoulder and her eyes met Artemis's soft grey ones. "He'll be back," the blonde said, voice soft but firm with conviction, because if he actually didn't come back on his own, Artemis knew she'd personally drag him back herself.

Megan gave a small smile and a nod, and the pair walked up the bioship ramp together.

**x x x **

**Rockport**

**October 29, 22:52 EDT**

Artemis had her compound bow already loaded, the arrow pointing at the ground ready to go at a moment's notice, as she surveyed the lighthouse perimeter. Robin and Kaldur had already gone inside to take care of the stash of Kobra Venom, leaving Artemis, Megan, and Wally to patrol the outside for trouble. The lighthouse was situated on a narrow outcrop of cliff, and the unrelenting surf repeatedly crashing into the rocks below made it difficult to hear. With the cold October chill blowing in off the Atlantic Ocean and the steady drizzle that wouldn't let up, it was a miserable night for a mission, something Wally persisted on complaining about over the mental link Megan had established.

"_Ugh, Batman couldn't have picked a worse night to send us here."_

Artemis rolled her eyes. _"Yeah, we're aware of that fact, thanks."_

"_I mean, why can't the bad guys ever hide their crap somewhere nice? Like California? It's warm and it hardly ever rains."_

"_The next time we run into some villains, why don't you suggest it to them?" _Artemis asked sarcastically.

Wally mentally scoffed. _"Don't think I won't . . ."_

"_Will you quit your bellyaching? It's miserable enough out here."_

"_Uh, guys, this link is sort of established to keep in touch regarding the mission . . ." _Megan interjected. _"Robin, Aqualad, how are you doing in there?"_

"_We already took a couple vials of the substance and have almost finished setting the explosives around the rest," _Kaldur replied.

"_Well hurry up so we can get out of this rain," _Wally grumbled with a sneeze.

"_Crap, we've got company!" _Robin's voice suddenly rang out in their minds. _"We're on our way out with a Kobra Venom lackey trailing us!" _

"_Team, be ready to engage!" _Kaldur ordered.

Artemis began to move back several feet from the door in order to get a clear shot while Kid Flash and Miss Martian came around from the other side. With her back to the dark ocean, a foot from the edge, Artemis drew back an arrow. A second later the ground started to rumble and Robin and Aqualad burst through the lone door, a large, disfigured man stomping after them. He was close, too close, to her teammates, and she wasn't willing to take any chances. She let loose an exploding arrow. It hit the towering giant square in the chest and exploded on contact. The blast rocked him back and sent Robin and Aqualad stumbling forward several steps before sending them to the ground. They were on their feet again immediately, Aqualad readying his water maces. A gust of wind blew away the smoke and Artemis cursed. The trick arrow had done little more than singe the greenish flesh of the monster's chest. He roared indignantly and swung his arms wildly as he stomped towards Kaldur and Robin. Kaldur crossed his maces above his head and blocked a vicious downward thrust. While Aqualad kept their opponent busy, Robin handed several tranquilizers to Miss Martian and Kid Flash.

"I hope you brought enough," Kid Flash said as he eyed the bluish liquid inside the clear syringe. "This guy's at least three times the size Evan was when Cheshire transformed him."

Robin turned towards Artemis, intending to bring her a few syringes as well, but she held up an arrow, the tip fashioned like a poisonous dart. She'd come prepared with tranquilizers of her own and Robin had to smirk in admiration. She was nothing if not adaptable.

"I think we're covered," he said.

The team got to work, plugging the giant with tranquilizers every time they found an opening, while Kaldur openly fought against him. Artemis loosed a second arrow full of tranquilizer and watched with satisfaction as it whiz past Kaldur's head and buried itself in the monster's bicep. The monster reared back his punctured arm with a snarl, and her satisfied smile morphed into one of startled shock when Megan popped into existence falling towards the ground. She'd been invisible behind the behemoth and must have been hit when he raised his fist. Before anyone could process it, he'd snatched Megan off the grass, slammed her against the brick wall of the lighthouse and threw her at the archer with a roar. Artemis scarcely had time to blink before Megan's limp body collided with her own. The bow in her right hand was knocked loose and she immediately wrapped both arms around the Martian as she staggered back from the sudden force. It was only two steps but that was all it took for both girls to go over the edge of the cliff. Artemis let out a startled cry and then her feet were no longer on solid ground.

If it had been anyone else, they never would have made it, but Artemis's startled shout caught Wally's attention and in a second he was running for them. Despite his breakneck speed, he felt like he'd never moved so slow as he watched Artemis take the two steps back that put her and Megan over the edge. He made a mad grab for his teammates as they began to fall. One hand managed to snag a fistful of Megan's fluttering cape, the other wrapped around Artemis's outstretched wrist. The combine weight of the two girls instantly slammed him to the ground on his stomach and he gasped at the loss of breath. Artemis felt herself jerk to a halt and winced at the pain that shot through her left arm. She looked up, her vision slightly blurred from the light raindrops falling in her eyes, and saw Wally's upper body hanging partway over the edge with Megan dangling listlessly from his opposite hand by her dark blue cape.

"I've got you!" he said through gritted teeth. She suddenly dropped another half inch as his body slide a little further over the edge. "Maybe," he grunted as he dug the tips of his shoes into the soggy mud in an attempt to keep himself from moving even farther over the edge.

With his eyes screwed shut he clenched his teeth and tried as hard as he could to lift either of the girls, but in the end it was pointless. There was no way he could lift either one of them with just one hand, even without the added weight of their rain-soaked clothes. "Can you climb up?" he asked Artemis.

She tried to grab onto him with her right hand, but it was no good, she couldn't reach high enough to grab his arm, and the angle of the concave cliff made it impossible to use her feet to help. Worse yet, the movement pulled Wally a quarter of an inch farther over the edge and she felt her own hand slide a little out of his grip.

"It's no good," she replied, voice somber. With Megan unconscious and therefore unable to fly, and her inability to climb back up, the three of them were sitting ducks. And Wally couldn't keep his hold on both of them forever. It was only a matter of time before he lost his grip on one or both of them.

"Megan! Come on, Megan, wake up and fly!" Wally suddenly shouted. "Kaldur! Robin!" he called, but between the rain and the roars of their opponent neither boy could hear him. "Argh, of all the missions for Superboy to skip out on!" he complained in frustration knowing that the Kryptonian would not only be able to hear him over all the noise, but could easily have lifted both girls with only one arm.

Artemis glanced at Megan's unconscious form, then at the raging sea far below. She hated drowning. Not only did it take longer to come back to life than other deaths, but the inability to breath and the feel of water flooding empty lungs was terrifying and painful. She imagined being set on fire was the only death that could trump it. If she fell, if she died, that was it. She wouldn't be able to bullshit her way out of this one like she had after the fun house incident. The whole team would know she had died. She would not be able to come back to the only group of people she'd really come to think of as family.

But at least she wouldn't stay dead.

If Wally dropped Megan, or worse, if all three of them went over, he and Megan would leave this world for good, and that was something she could not permit. Not only was protecting the others part of the deal she made with Batman in order to gain a spot on the team, but losing them was something she could never live with. With a sigh she glanced up at Wally's face and felt the unfamiliar sting of tears in her eyes. His bright green eyes were screwed shut in concentration and his teeth were clenched as he tried his best to hang on to both of them. It was a losing battle though and she knew it.

"Wally."

The heaviness of Artemis's voice immediately grabbed his attention and when he looked at her the look in her dark grey eyes was one that turned the blood in his veins to ice. It was one of resignation, of acceptance, and he knew what she was going to say a fraction of a second before the words left her mouth.

"Let me go."

"No way! Did you see the size of the rocks down there? This isn't like cliff diving off Mt. Justice, Artemis!"

"I know."

"Then how could you even ask me to do that?!" he exclaimed. He was shocked by her demand, and angered that she even bothered to ask, as if he'd even spend half a second contemplating granting her request.

"Because if you don't drop one of us soon you're going to end up dropping us both!"

"And you honestly think I could choose to let one of you fall?!"

"No! That's why I'm making the choice for you."

"Don't you dare!" he ordered, his voice an octave higher with panic.

"You were right. About the kiss. It did mean something. It meant everything," she admitted. Her voice had never sounded so sincere and it tore at his very core. She was laying all her cards on the table and Wally saw it for what it was. This was a good-bye.

"Artemis, please . . ." Wally begged, voice cracking, even as he felt his grip on her wrist begin to tire, and the fistful of Megan's cape start to slip.

Artemis took a shaky breath. What she was about to do would probably tear him apart, but it was the only option. Even so, she would never forgive herself. In the end, Dr. Fate had been right: her fate was tied to Wally's and he was about to experience unrivaled pain and heartache. And just as she had feared, it would be because of her.

She inhaled deeply, steeled her nerves, locked her eyes with his, and said, in the most earnest voice she could muster, "Everything will be okay, I promise. Just make sure Kaldur retrieves my body."

"Artemis, don't!"

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she yanked her arm down hard. He moved a millimeter farther over the edge a moment before her hand slid through his fingers and she plummeted downward.

"ARTEMIS!" Wally cried at the top of his lungs as he watched her fall away from him and hit the icy water below where she disappeared beneath the turbulent waves.

His newly freed hand immediately shifted to grab another fistful of Megan's cape, and with the strength he had left, he managed to pull the Martian back up onto stable ground. A soon as Megan was safe, he hurried back to the edge, dropped to his hands and knees, and watched the rolling waves, but he saw no sign of the missing blonde. He staggered to his feet and turned to his teammates just as Kaldur knocked the mutated man to the ground with a hard swipe of his aqua maces. The ground gave a small quake when his heavy body hit the mud, and when he didn't rise, Robin swiped a hand across his forehead.

"Man, I thought he'd never go down."

"Kaldur!" Wally cried as he rushed towards the pair, Megan's body bouncing around, barely suspended in his exhausted arms. The Atlantean turned to the speedster and was taken aback by the wild and frantic look his eyes bore.

"Wally, what-"

"It's Artemis! I tried, damnit I tried to hang onto her, but she fell! I can't see her in the water!"

Kaldur was already moving for the steep slope that led down to the beach, the other two boys in tow. As soon as they hit the sand he sprinted into the dark water and disappeared below the surface.

"Kid, what happened?" Robin asked as Wally set Megan down on the wet sand.

"When that creep threw Megan she hit Artemis and the two of them went over the edge of the cliff. I got there in time to stop them from falling, but I couldn't pull them back up. Artemis couldn't make the climb and Megan was unconscious, so she couldn't even fly. I couldn't save them both, Rob, and Artemis . . . she just let go. She let go so I wouldn't have to choose," he finished in a whisper, his eyes haunted as he stared at the sea.

Robin didn't respond, and the pair stood there in silence at the edge of the beach where the sand met the water, Megan's still form a few feet away, anxiously watching the waves for Kaldur to reappear. Each second that ticked by was agonizing but finally, Kaldur broke the surface of the water with a small bundle in his embrace. Wally immediately caught sight of the long golden locks spilling over Kaldur's arm and floating on the water around him, free of its usual ponytail, and he breathed a sigh of relief. As the dark skinned boy moved closer though, his relief quickly morphed into despair. Wally could see the thick line of red oozing from her right temple, the paleness of her usually tan skin, and the bluish tint to her rosy lips before Kaldur even made it to shore. The solemn look in his pale eyes and the slow shake of his head confirmed the fear that had been rising up in the speedster like bile the minute he'd laid eyes on the blonde:

Artemis was gone.

Time suddenly felt sluggish and the sound around him became muted, like he was wearing earplugs, as the tall Atlantean came closer with his precious bundle. Wally couldn't be sure if the nasty gash she harbored had been the cause, or if it'd simply been enough to knock her unconscious, leaving her to drown as her body sunk into the icy depths of the Atlantic Ocean. In the end, it didn't really matter what the cause of death was, all that really mattered was that he'd never spend another moment with the sassy blonde archer who'd entered his life in a whirlwind of sarcastic remarks and intense grey eyes just a couple of months ago and had stolen his heart without even trying. Just the thought of all that would never be was enough to bring him to his knees. His legs gave out and he dropped to the cold, wet sand on all fours, but his eyes didn't stray from the lifeless body of the blonde archer.

Kaldur held Artemis's still form gently, as if she were the most fragile piece of glass, and came to a stop in front of Wally and Robin. Choked with sadness, his voice was almost inaudible over the seas as he spoke. "Her heart no longer beats."

The screaming that suddenly assaulted Wally's ears was ragged and heart wrenching in its despair, and it took him a moment to realize it was coming from his own lips. He wasn't forming any coherent words, he just cried out at the top of his lungs as he fisted the wet sand in his fingers, watching it blur through a mix of rain and tears. He vaguely heard Robin's voice as the younger boy dropped to the ground next to him, but he couldn't make out anything he was saying over the hoarse cries that were brutally ripping at his throat. He screamed for what felt like an eternity, and eventually he thought he heard Megan's frantic voice as well, but he couldn't be sure, and he honestly didn't care. The only thing he could do was beat his fists against the hard sand and scream. The pain was unbearable, like nothing he'd ever felt before, and when his mind was hit with a forceful shockwave that threatened to take him away from the anguish plaguing him, he didn't question it, didn't resist. In an instant it engulfed him, and everything went black.

Like a bullet to the brain.

_**To be continued . . . **_

**A/N: **I know Artemis dying is nothing new (in fanfiction or in canon at this point) but I hope my version was a least worth reading all the same. The second half of this chapter was 1 of 4 scenes I originally came up with that then prompted me to fabricate an entire storyline just so I could write them lol Anyway, your thoughts and feelings are always appreciated :) I've already started on the next chapter, so the wait for an update shouldn't even be close to this one, promise!

Oh, points to whoever caught the throwback to another amazing CN show that was cancelled before it should have been in this chapter!

_**SakuraJade**_


	19. Two Truths and a Lie

**A/N: **Wow what an overwhelmingly positive response to the last chapter! Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts and feelings! I was so excited to read each and every one of them :)

And now we move into the part of the story where I start to rip the Team apart. So brace yourselves b/c it might get a little ugly at times.

Shout out to **mark of Orlando** for leaving such a nice review regarding the kiss Wally and Artemis shared back in Chapter 11! Your nice words really made my day, so thank you!

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice. DC Comics, Warner Brothers, and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

**Rated T** for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

_Italics _mean thoughts

"_Italics within quotes_" mean telepathy

_The first reaction to truth is hatre__d . . . _

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 19: Two Truths and a Lie_

**Mount Justice **

**October 30, 03:03 EDT**

"He's still out cold, huh?"

"Yeah. You really hit him hard with that psychic blast."

"I didn't want to, but it was that or let him have a complete mental breakdown right there on the beach. His mind was absolute chaos. It makes me shiver just thinking about it . . . I had to shut his mind down."

"I know . . . I knew he was gonna take it pretty hard if anything happened to her, but I never imagined-"

Wally suddenly groaned as he tried to move, his limbs sluggish and heavy, as if he were attempting to swim through tar. His head ached with a dull throb and his throat felt raw and scratchy. The speedster's eyes opened and florescent light washed out the darkness he'd been suspended in. The harsh lightning only aggravated his headache further.

"I think he's coming to," a male voice said from nearby, and when Wally's eyes finally regained their ability to focus, he saw Megan and Robin leaning over him, identical looks of concern etched on both of their faces.

"Wally," Megan tentatively began. "How . . . how are you feeling?"

He let out another gravely moan as he sat up in the small bed he'd been lying in, his hand moving to rub his temple.

"Ugh, like my brain was dumped in a high speed blender." He glanced around, taking in the white walls and sterile beds of the infirmary. "Why am I in sickbay?"

Megan and Robin looked at each other, neither wanting to be the one to address his question. It wasn't reassuring for the speedster. Finally, Robin cleared his throat.

"What, uh, what do you remember?"

"Dude, my mind feels so scrambled right now I'm lucky I remember my name."

"Right. Well, Batman sent us to Maine on a mission last night. We were to blow up a-"

"Stash of Kobra Venom being housed there, right?" Wally asked as his muddled brain worked to piece the previous night back together.

"That's right," Megan said. "We succeeded in destroying it, but we were attacked by a mutated guy. I guess he knocked me unconscious when he slammed me against the building." Megan's voice had become shaky as her eyes grew glassy with tears. "He threw me into Artemis and we-we went over the cliff . . ."

Wally stared straight ahead, his eyes unfocused as he listened. His mind began to clear as Megan recounted the details of their last mission. It was cold and raining, he remembered that. And he remembered running for dear life, as if his very own world would come crashing down around him if he didn't make it to his destination in time. Based on the fact that Megan was near tears and his best friend had the most somber expression he'd ever seen on the young boy's face, Wally had a sinking feeling that, despite his best efforts, something didn't go quite right.

In a hollow voice that sounded foreign to his own ears, Wally asked, "Where's Artemis?"

The forlorn glance his teammates shared was enough to confirm his fear.

"No . . ." he whispered in denial even as his befuddled brain cleared and the events from the previous night came rushing back. "Artemis is fine, she has to be . . ."

"Wally-"

"No!" the redhead cried, cutting off Robin as he lifted his eyes to glare heatedly at the boy. "Artemis is alive! She's a survivor! She was just injured," he insisted, his wild green eyes scanning the room for her form, for a sliver of hope that it wasn't true.

Robin leaned forward and gripped the spiraling speedster by the shoulders. "Stop it, Kid!" he ordered and shook him firmly. He couldn't stand to see his friend unraveling at the seams. "She's not . . . here." He paused a moment to swallow the lump that had risen in his throat. "Kaldur pulled her body from the ocean himself. Artemis is gone."

Wally clenched the thin sheet covering his legs as if it were a lifeline tying him to this twisted reality he'd woken up in. He'd let her fall. He couldn't save both girls, so Artemis had given her life so that he could save Megan's. And for a second, just a split second, he wished it'd been the other way around, wished that Megan had taken the fall instead of Artemis. He hated himself for letting the thought even cross his mind.

"Recognized, Superboy, B04," the feminine security system sounded over head.

"Looks like Superboy finally found his way back," Robin said.

Megan sighed heavily. "I'll . . . I'll go talk to him, tell him what happened." She moved for the door, but glanced back at Wally. "I'm so sorry, Wally," she whispered. And she was. She was sorry they'd lost Artemis in order to keep her, sorry for what he was going through, because it was clear Artemis's death was going to affect him far more than anyone else. Most of all, she was sorry she couldn't just tell him that, even though Artemis had died last night, she wouldn't stay dead.

He didn't give her a response, didn't even look at her. She quietly let herself out of the room and floated down the hallway. She reached the bioship hanger just as Conner was wiping the last of the dirt from the Supercycle. Megan let her feet touch the floor, and the click of her heels hitting the metal caught his attention. He glanced up at her for a moment, before turning his attention back to sphere.

"Where have you been all night?" she asked quietly.

"Out." His reply was curt, and Megan felt a spark of anger ignite inside of her at his obvious dismissal.

"Doing what? What was so important that you missed our mission?" Conner ignored her and in a rare show of force Megan thrust her right arm out, eyes glowing green. A moment later Conner felt his backside slam against the opposite wall. Though she didn't hold him there, he stayed against the wall, too shocked by her forceful outburst to do more than gap at her.

"I asked you a question!" she exclaimed as she stalked towards him.

"What the hell has gotten into you?!" he suddenly shouted back, fury beginning to twist his features.

"Artemis is gone! We lost her last night!"

In an instant, the agitation and anger Conner was beginning to feel vanished. "What?"

"She died! And if you'd been there like you were supposed to be, it might not have happened! You could have saved us both, but you weren't there! So it was me or her, and she chose me," she finished in a whisper. "And now she's gone. Wally's psyche is fractured; the team has lost a friend; and all so you could go joyriding instead. You let us down, Conner."

Unable to stand the sight of him, she turned away and hurried from the room. Superboy continued to stare at the empty spot Megan had been standing in long after she was gone, trying to process everything she'd said. The team had lost a member last night, something he might have been able to prevent if he hadn't shirked his responsibilities. The one they lost might have been Megan if not for Artemis's apparent sacrifice. What the hell had he done?

With a growl he spun towards the wall and slammed his fist into it, creating a foot deep dent in the steel.

**x x x**

**Mount Justice **

**October 30, 05:00 EDT**

He didn't want to be here.

In fact, he could think of few places he'd rather be less at that particular moment, given all that had recently happened. But when Batman called for an audience you came, it was as simple as that. So Wally stood in the briefing room with the rest of the team, minus one head strong archer, whose absence felt like a gaping wound, waiting for Batman to address them. The room was deadly quiet and so heavy with sadness that Wally swore he could see it drifting around like a dark cloud. Black Canary, Green Arrow, and Red Tornado silently shuffled into the room and Batman finally began.

"I called you all here to discuss the ramifications of last night's mission." His gaze landed on Conner, and the boy had the good grace to drop his eyes to the floor in shame. Batman looked back at the group and continued. "You succeeded in acquiring some samples of the Kobra Venom. It's already been sent to the Watch Tower where The Flash and Atom are going to begin analyzing it immediately. Hopefully it will be the key they need to formulate a serum that can reverse the so far permanent effects. The mission was not without tragedy, however." He paused and Wally had to swallow the lump that had risen in his throat.

"Artemis's funeral will be tomorrow," Black Canary spoke softly. She flicked her gaze at Conner as she said, "Attendance _is _mandatory."

The Kryptonian hunched his shoulders even further at the comment, his eyes remaining on the floor.

"Losing Artemis is not only a blow to this team, but to the Justice League's fight against the League of Shadows as well."

Wally's eyebrows furrowed. He hadn't expected to hear that. It was clear that Batman's statement had caught the rest of the team by surprise as well. Batman turned around and began to type on the holo-computer. Within seconds three separate pictures appeared on the screen, each with it's own caption. Wally recognized two of the people on display immediately by their costumes. One was Cheshire, the other was Sportsmaster, two members of the League of Shadows. The third picture was a young woman in a brown and tan, skin tight costume with a paw print on the chest and dark eye makeup, the words "Huntress" written underneath. The word "retired" was stamped across her picture in red. Each picture had a smaller headshot pop up next to it a second later of the person without their mask or makeup on, and those pictures had civilian aliases written next to them. Wally felt his heart sputter erratically when his eyes landed on the third picture. He recognized the face, it was older than the face in the full body shot, but it was clearly the same woman. The name next to the headshot confirmed his recognition. Paula Crock, the same surname that Artemis bore. Artemis's mother, the sweet, wheelchair bound lady he'd meet not long ago, had been a villain. His eyes drifted to the man in the middle and his heart all but stopped that time. Sportsmaster's civilian last name was also Crock, Lawrence Crock. The name next to Cheshire read Jade Nyugen, and though the last name was different, Wally was sure she was related too.

Artemis was from a family of villains.

Wally turned his heated glare on Green Arrow. "You said she was your niece!"

Green Arrow sighed forlornly. "If it's any consolation, I wish she had been. No kid deserves a family like that."

"It was part of her cover story," Batman said.

"What cover story?" Robin asked, an edge to his voice as he stared at his mentor.

"Nine years ago, her mother and father robbed a museum," Black Canary explained. "During their getaway, she fell from the roof and was crippled. She spent nine years in prison for her crimes and was finally released in July. All this time Artemis's father had been training her to join the Shadows, like her sister Cheshire did. But she didn't want to be a part of that life style, so Sportsmaster threatened to harm her mother, Paula, if she didn't cooperate. After she saved Kid Flash during your fight with Amazo, Batman and Green Arrow decided to track her down. She explained what was going on, and that the Shadows had tasked her with infiltrating your team to prove her loyalty. Not only did she want to defy them, she wanted to help bring them down."

"So we came to an agreement," Batman continued. "She would join this covert ops team, but instead of feeding the Shadows information on us, she'd feed us information on the Shadows, in addition to using her advanced skills to help keep the rest of you safe. In return, we would do everything in our power to make sure nothing happened to her mother."

Kaldur suddenly placed his hand on the wall for support. "She was the mole."

"What?" Wally asked, turning to look at their leader.

"Back in September, when I was helping Red Arrow against Sportsmaster and Cheshire in Taipei, Sportsmaster alluded to their being a mole on the Team. He was talking about Artemis."

"Wait, you knew there might have been a spy but you didn't say anything to us!?" Conner yelled. "What the hell?!"

"I could not say anything. Sportsmaster might have simply been trying to mess with the dynamics of our group and breed mistrust. And in the event there was a spy, I could not risk alerting that person to my knowledge of their existence." He shook his head. "I had my suspicions about Artemis, but I had no idea she was a double agent."

Robin crossed his arms over his chest. "So that's why you'd been asking Wally and me questions about Artemis after we'd started spending more time with her."

Kaldur nodded his head. It was obvious from the look on his face that he felt terrible for doubting the blonde. "And now I cannot even apologize for my lack of faith in her."

"I don't understand," Megan spoke. She knew about Artemis's resurrection mark, and she'd known about her villainous parents, though the archer had neglected to tell Megan that her sister was also a villain the team had faced. She'd had no idea, however, that Artemis had been on a secret mission to spy on the Shadows as a double agent. "Why were we not informed of Artemis's mission? We were her teammates."

Green Arrow shook his head. "It wasn't that simple."

"Oh? Because it sure sounds simple to me," Conner spit.

"The less who knew about Artemis's true role on this team, the easier it would be to keep her cover from being blown," Batman explained.

Robin flicked his gaze to his mentor. "Who else in the League knew about Artemis's role as a double agent?"

"Just us four," Black Canary replied as she waved her hand to encompass the other three heroes.

Wally scrubbed his tired face with his hands. It all made sense now, why Artemis was so secretive about her personal life, why she randomly disappeared from the cave for days on end, why she was so skilled despite the small amount of time she'd spent working with Green Arrow, why Cheshire had been so interested in her, the extra work she was doing for Batman that he'd heard her mother mention, and most of all, it explained all the scars she carried. Wally shuddered, unable to imagine what it could have possibly been like to be raised by Sportsmaster. The abuse and negligence she must have suffered at his hands throughout the duration of her life . . . His stomach twisted painfully at the thought. It was a damn miracle she'd turned out the way she had. If she hadn't been such a strong-willed individual, well, she would have become as unstable as Cheshire. But instead of completely removing Artemis from the horrible situation she was in, the League kept her there on purpose just to get more information.

Wally felt his blood begin to boil, and he swung his heated gaze back to the adults. "You used her."

"We needed an inside source; Artemis was perfect for the job," Red Tornado explained as though the answer should have been obvious. "Her familial relations and expected loyalty to the League of Shadows made her the logical choice to undertake this mission."

"She was just a teenager!" Wally exclaimed. "How could you put her in danger like that?!"

"You may be teenagers, but you are far from normal," Batman said, his voice calm and even despite Wally's outburst. "You have special abilities and talents, and you have a responsibility to use them. You wanted this team; you wanted to be treated like adults. That means taking risks, putting your lives on the line for a greater purpose. The needs of many outweigh the needs of one. Artemis understood that, if you can't, then you don't belong on this team."

Wally immediately lunged at Batman with a snarl, and it was only Kaldur's quick reaction that stopped him from racing towards the Dark Knight with raised fists. The Atlantean kept a tight grip on the heaving redhead and pulled him from the room, the others wordlessly following.

"He'll hate you forever for this, you know," Green Arrow sighed as he watched Kaldur drag Wally from the room.

"Better he hate me, than himself."

**x x x **

A half hour after the meeting with the team, Batman finally left the briefing room and started down the dimly lit hall.

"Batman, please wait."

He turned to see Megan floating towards him. She'd been waiting for him, and he could tell from the apprehensive look on her face that whatever she wanted to discuss with him was making her ill at ease. When she reached him he stared at her silently, waiting for her to continue.

"I want to see Artemis."

"You will get a chance to pay your respects and say goodbye to her at her funeral tomorrow." He turned away from the young Martian abruptly, his cape hissing softly as it fluttered from the movement.

"I know about her mark!" Megan boldly shouted as she took a step forward. Batman swung around, his eyes narrowed.

**x x x **

The phone rang three times before a surly male voice picked up on the other end.

"Yeah?"

"Roy, it's me."

Roy let out a tired sigh. "This better be important, Kal. It's," there was a slight pause on the other end, "5:30 in the morning."

"Artemis is gone."

Roy scoffed and Kaldur could practically hear his eyes roll. "Oh yeah? I'm not surprised she split. I knew she didn't have what it takes to be in this gig."

No, Roy, she didn't quit."

Roy was silent for a moment, then he said, "Wait, you mean . . ."

We were on a mission last night and she . . . she didn't make it," Kaldur explained, voice heavy.

"Christ," Roy swore, voice barely above a whisper. It was no secret that Roy and Artemis didn't exactly like each other, but the older archer would have never wished for such a fate to befall his younger counter part. If he was honest with himself, he didn't even really dislike the flippant blonde. He'd just been a little jealous that his old mentor had filled the spot he'd vacated so quickly, and he'd taken it out on Artemis the day they met, causing an instant rivalry to develop between the two of them.

"Her funeral's tomorrow," Kaldur spoke, bringing his friend back to the present.

"Shit, Kal, I'm sorry." He knew his friend well enough to know that, as leader of the team, Kaldur would blame himself, feel that her blood was on his hands. He couldn't imagine the weight of that burden.

"Roy, we . . . we might need an archer."

Roy's response was immediate. "You've got one."

**x x x **

Megan shrank back with a cringe. It wasn't easy having the Dark Knight's glare directed at you full force. "It-it was an accident. I saw it in her mind, when we were on the mission in Chicago. I confronted her afterwards and sh-she told me about the mark and her mom and dad, although she left out her sister and the double agent mission she's been on. She made me promise not to tell the Team, and I didn't, obviously."

Batman remained completely silent and Megan began to fidget under his intense glare. Finally he said, "Come with me," and began to walk back down the hallway.

Megan scurried after him. In a matter of minutes they stopped outside a thick set of steel double doors that Megan was unfamiliar with.

"What room is this?" she asked.

"The on-site morgue."

Megan felt her stomach clench. She was glad to be unfamiliar with this room. Batman gripped the handle and pushed the door open. As soon as he walked in, a light automatically turned on above. Megan followed and her eyes immediately fell on the small blonde figure laid out on a steel table in the middle of the room. Artemis was still in her uniform from the night before, and her complexion was so ashen that Megan found it hard to believe she'd eventually be alive again.

"How long before she comes back?"

"No telling. It's not an exact science. Drowning seems to take the longest. It takes time for all the water to leave her system in order for her lungs and heart to start functioning again. Based on past experiences, however, it shouldn't be much longer."

A shiver ran up Megan's spine at the thought, and she resigned herself to sitting in silence with the Dark Knight while they waited for the archer to rejoin the living. It took over an hour, but the heavy silence was suddenly shattered by a bone jarring, wet cough. Megan's head snapped up at the sound and she saw Artemis jerk up quickly, water stream from her mouth as she leaned forward, chest heaving, gasping for breath as if she'd just run a mile.

"Artemis!" Megan cried as she rushed to her friend's side.

The blonde immediately locked eyes with the redhead and sighed as relief rushed through her. "M'gann," she croaked, voice scratchier than usual. "Thank God you're alright."

"M'gann is alright. You, on the other hand, are not," Batman said as he approached the two girls.

Artemis sat up a little straighter, just now realizing she and Megan were not alone. And if Megan was here with Batman then he had to know that she knew about the mark. "It was an accident," Artemis suddenly said, voice defensive.

"So I've heard. But we have more pressing matters to discuss. Your funeral is tomorrow. I take it the Shadows have a plan in place in the event that you died in front of the others."

"Yeah, they do." Artemis reached into the small black pouch she kept strapped to her left thigh and produced a small vile of green liquid.

Megan eyed the substance warily. "What is that stuff?"

"A slow-releasing poison. Sensei gave it to me. In the event that I died in front of anyone on the Team, I was to take this the minute I woke up. It'll stay in my system and keep me dead long enough to go through a funeral and burial."

"And then?" Batman asked.

"And then I pray it keeps me dead long enough for them to dig me back up so I don't have to spend an extended period of time being buried alive," she said with a shudder.

"Ras al Ghul isn't going to be happy about losing his mole."

"No, but I think I've already earned myself enough points to be inducted into the Shadows as a regular member. Hopefully that means it'll be easier for me to learn more about this big scheme they're involved in."

Batman nodded, and he silently turned away as if to mull this development over in his head. Artemis turned her eyes to Megan.

"How is everyone . . . you know."

"They can't believe it happened. Batman told all of us about your family and your double agent mission with the Shadows just a little bit ago too, so they're all a little hurt and angry that we weren't told. Kaldur thought you might have been a mole and now he feels terrible for having doubted your loyalty to the Team. Conner is wearing the guilt he feels for not having been there all over his face, and I think Robin's still kind of in shock. Plus I can tell he's really worried about Wally too."

"What do you mean?" Artemis asked, her own worry for the speedster gnawing away at her stomach.

"He's sort of devastated."

"Is he going to be okay?"

Megan shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. His mind . . . it's so fragile right now, Artemis. He's just not in a good place."

Artemis drew her knees up to her chest and laid her forehead against them. She wanted nothing more than to run to him and tell him everything, let him know that everything was okay. That he hadn't let her down, that she wasn't truly dead. But she couldn't. It would compromise the mission, and the mission came first. It'd been such an easy decision to make when she agreed to be a double agent for the Justice League. She'd wanted nothing more than to get her father out of her and her mother's lives for good. She'd had no idea back than all of the things that would transpire between her and her teammates before getting to this point, no idea the ramifications the death of a sassy, no name blonde would have on a good natured, jocular speedster. She'd tried so hard to keep from becoming friends with her teammates, tried even harder to keep from becoming more than that to Wally in order to avoid the pain that comes with losing a friend. But from what Megan had just said, all of her efforts had been for nothing.

Megan's brow creased in worry at the way Artemis's slender frame had begun to shake. She reached a hand towards the blonde. "Artemis-"

"Just go away," she whispered, her voice laced with tears.

A heavy weight suddenly landed on Megan's shoulder and she looked up to see Batman behind her, his large, glove covered hand resting on her shoulder. He nodded his head toward the door, and together they moved for the exit. Megan took one last look at her friend before Batman steered her out of the room, the door closing with a dull click.

Artemis sat on the cold metal table alone with her arms wrapped around her legs, and cried.

_**To be continued . . . **_

**A/N:** Phew, that was a heavy-hearted chapter. Some of you have asked in reviews how Batman and the other Leaguers in on Artemis's secret mission feel about the role she's playing since she's just a teenager. I hope this explains it somewhat. On the one hand, she and the others are just teenagers, but on the other hand they aren't your average, run-of-the-mill teens either, so it makes sense to treat them a bit differently, at least I think so. Now of course they don't want Artemis to suffer unduly (i.e. her father torturing her, etc.), but she _is _their best shot at finding out what is going on, and with her ability she's almost guaranteed to survive, and since she volunteered they weren't going to turn her down. I see it as a case of the safety of many outweighing the safety of one. That's the kind of thing heroes do.

And Roy finally made an appearance, sort of. Someone else had asked about that. That wasn't the last of him. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it. Next chapter will be Artemis's funeral, so expect some more angst :(

_**SakuraJade**_


	20. Ashes to Ashes

**A/N: **I'm sorry it's been months. Since updating the last chapter I had two actual funerals to attended and I just didn't have it in me to write about a fake one :( Plus I'm working overtime right now like you wouldn't believe and do little more than work, eat, and sleep . . . It sucks. Your reviews and pms did encourage me to sit down and push myself to give you an update though, so thank you so much for the constant encouragement! I was seriously blown away by the positive feedback chapter 19 got! I do want to clear up two points that were made in reviews that some of the rest of you might have had but didn't vocalize:

**1).** Batman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Red Tornado know about both Artemis's double agent mission AND her mark and they are the only members of the Justice League in on this. It's a "need to know" kind of issue, so only those dealing directly with Artemis have been brought in. It was mentioned in the narration in chapter 4, but that was forever ago so I thought I'd reiterate that fact.

**2).** Kaldur and Roy's phone conversation. Some might feel like Kaldur asking Roy to join the team so soon after Artemis's death wasn't right, but that's not exactly what he was doing. Bringing Roy into the story was part of the point of the phone call, but it was also to show Kaldur dealing with losing Artemis. For one he's still the leader and needs to think about the Team and it's needs, but he's also feeling guilty over losing a member and sadness at having lost a friend. So he did what most people do: He called his best friend for a level of comfort and reassurance. Kaldur did say to Roy in the last (2nd to last?) S1 ep that Roy is his best friend on the surface (while Garth is his best friend in Atlantis). And Roy did call Kaldur alone for help when he was in over his head in Taipei in ep 10. But they're still boys, so Kal isn't going to just straight up call Roy and start crying. Instead he calls to tell Roy what happened (he should know after all) and to make sure the Team has an archer they can count on, when really he just needs to talk to his friend right now, to know that _he _can count on Roy. Of course that's not to say Roy won't be helping out . . .

_Disclaimer__:_ "I don't own Young Justice. DC Comics, Warner Brothers, and Cartoon Network have the rights to it. I'm just having some fun :)"

_**Note:**_ For those who can't remember what's going on in this story between long updates, I've put a recap of the entire story so far up on my profile.

**Rated T** for some language, suggestive themes, and descriptive violence.

_Italics _mean thoughts

"_Italics within quotes_" mean telepathy

_Sometimes you have to Lie to find the Truth . . . _

**Tangled Web**

_Chapter 20: Ashes to Ashes_

**Central City **

**October 31, 07:00 CDT**

**_I woke up_**

**_Wished that I was dead_**

**_With an aching in my head_**

**_I lay motionless in bed_**

**_I thought of you_**

**_And where you'd gone_**

**_And the world spins madly on . . ._**

**_And everyth-_**

Wally slammed his hand down on the snooze button of his clock-radio with an irritated snort, abruptly thrusting his room into silence once more. It wasn't as if he'd actually gotten any sleep the night before, rendering the need for an alarm clock completely moot. It was seven a.m., but instead of popping out of bed and rushing to get ready for school like he did every Monday morning, he rolled over onto his back and threw his arm over his eyes in an effort to keep the tears he was tired of shedding at bay. There would be no school for him today. No, today held its own unique brand of torture.

Today they would bury Artemis.

Just thinking about it made Wally's heart constrict painfully as his breaths grew shallower. Unable to stand the dark thoughts, he yanked the covers from his body and stumbled from his bed, the lack of sleep hitting him hard. He staggered to his desk chair where his mother had laid out a fresh Kid Flash costume for the service. Artemis had been a hero and she would be buried as one. As such, the mourners in attendance would pay their respects as the heroes they were as well, just as they had for Kent Nelson. _**(1)**_ It was the highest honor they could give her. It didn't seem like enough to Wally though.

Then again, nothing would.

When the doorbell rang 15 minutes later, Wally was sitting on the edge of his bed, washed and dressed in his costume of red and yellow, numbly staring at the carpet of his bedroom floor. His mother pushed his door open with a light knock.

"Honey? Your uncle is here."

Wordlessly, Wally rose to his feet. As he passed by Mary, she placed a hand gently on his shoulder. She didn't have to say anything for Wally to know how sorry she was for his loss, for what he was going through. He paused for only a moment at the contact before he moved on, his mother's hand dropping from his shoulder. When he reached the end of the hall he saw Barry – suited up in his red Flash uniform – standing in the small foyer near the front door.

As soon as Wally was close, Barry spoke. "Are you ready?"

"I'll never be ready."

"Kid, I . . . I don't know what to say . . ."

"There's nothing you can say," he replied coldly as he hit the lightning bolt on the center of his chest, turning the bright red and yellow into black and grey. His stealth costume was more appropriate for the occasion. Without another word he walked out into the crisp October morning.

Barry turned to look at Mary and Rudolph – who had joined him in the foyer – a helpless look in his eyes that was mirrored in theirs.

"Barry, do you think he'll be okay?" Mary whispered, her voice thick with sadness for the suffering of her only child, a suffering she could do nothing about.

Barry scrubbed his hands down his masked face with a heavy sigh. "I wish I knew."

**x x x**

**Gotham City**

**October 31st, 8:25 EDT **

The small onsite chapel at the Gotham Memorial Cemetery was already teeming with heroes in costumes of every color by the time Wally and Barry arrived. They were talking quietly among themselves, or silently standing over the open casket near the front, paying their final respects to a comrade who'd fall in the line of duty. Wally immediately spotted his own teammates standing together not far from the casket, each one clad in the stealth version of their costume, apparently sharing the same idea Wally had. Without a word, he walked away from his uncle to join them, and together the team of five approached the coffin. With every step he took, Wally felt apprehension, thick and heavy, seeping into his bones and spreading throughout his body. He knew Artemis was gone, but this . . . this would make it so very real, so final.

As soon as his eyes fell on the figure resting in the coffin his composure cracked and he let out a shuddered breath, his heart stuttering to a stop. Even in death, Artemis looked fierce yet beautiful in her green uniform, but gone was the fire she always carried that made his heart race. It'd been extinguished, snuffed out as though it'd never existed.

He still couldn't fully wrap his brain around the fact that the team had lost a member, or that the League, or at least a few of its heroes, had put Artemis on a dangerous mission alone and with no real back up. The thought sent a fresh wave of anger through him and he tore his gaze from the figure in the coffin to glare hatefully at Batman and Green Arrow, standing across the room talking quietly with Roy, to his surprise. Wally suddenly stomped away from the casket and out of the building, unable to stand the sight of their fallen comrade any longer. Megan watched him go, her heart aching for the redhead. She felt a heavy hand grip her shoulder, and she knew it was Conner without even looking. Instead of relishing in the contact, she brushed his hand away and floated after the speedster. Conner let out a sigh and turned his gaze back to Artemis. He couldn't blame Megan for her rejection; if he'd gone on the mission as planned he might have been able to save Artemis. But he'd ignored his responsibilities, and now they'd never know if his presence would have made a difference in the outcome of their mission, if his presence would have been the difference between life and death for the archer. He took a deep breath through his nose and his eyebrows scrunched in confusion. He took another whiff, and again he smelled . . . nothing. Conner had never been to a funeral before, but thanks to the G-gnomes, he knew what entailed in an American burial. The organs would be removed and the arteries would be filled with a chemical called formaldehyde to preserve the body. The chemical substance was known to have a pungent, irrigating odor, yet despite his superhuman sense of smell, Conner couldn't smell the scent of harsh chemicals or decay. If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn Artemis was simply in a deep sleep.

Kaldur nudged Superboy from behind and he looked to see a line of heroes forming to pay their final respects. He glanced one more time at Artemis's still form before moving on, Kaldur and Robin in tow.

Outside, Wally was blankly staring out at the rows of tombstones when the absolute silence that blanketed the graveyard was shattered by the sound of the chapel door opening and closing behind him. A female voice softly called his name. He didn't bother to respond, and a moment later Megan came to a stop by his side.

"Wally," Megan tried again. "Please, talk to me."

Wally let out a tired sigh, his eyes never meeting hers. "What do you want me to say, Megan? That I'm okay? That any of this is okay? Because it's not, and it's _never _going to be."

"You're right, it's not okay, but it is our reality. We don't have to be okay with it, but we do have to accept it."

Wally shook his head. "I just . . . I can't believe I couldn't save her, Megan . . . If I'd just been a little stronger, or if-"

"Don't do this to yourself, Wally," Megan pleaded. "No matter what you come up with, it won't change the outcome of what's already happened. You can't blame yourself."

"I don't." He saw a worried look in Megan's eyes and added, "And I don't blame you either." Wally's eyes suddenly hardened. "But I should blame Connor," he said, voice harsh.

"Wally-"

"No, if he'd come on the mission like he was supposed to, then Artemis would probably still be alive. With his super hearing he would have heard me yell for help, and with his super strength, he could have easily pulled you both back up onto the cliff. Instead, you're here and Artemis is gone."

"You're right, he should have been there, but even if he had been, we don't know for sure if it would have changed anything."

Wally opened his mouth to respond when the door creaked open once more and Kaldur leaned out.

"It's time," he said quietly before retreating back into the chapel.

Megan silently took Wally's hand and with a heavy sigh, he let her lead him back inside and to the casket. As the pallbearers, it was their job to move Artemis to her final resting place.

**x x x**

"We've been here all morning," Cameron complained. He threw a withering look at Jade as she leaned against a tree filing her nails nonchalantly. The pair was stationed on a hill in the back of the Gotham Memorial Cemetery and had been for a couple of hours. Earlier that morning, Jade had barged into his room on Infinity Island and knocked him out of bed with no instructions other than to get dressed and follow her. "Are you gonna tell me what's going on, or what?"

"If you must know," Jade drooled, her eyes still focused on the long nail of her index finger as she moved the file back and forth, "we're waiting for my sister."

Cameron stopped his impatient pacing, confused by Jade's words. "Your sister?" he repeated. "Artemis?"

"She's the only one I've got, now isn't she?" Jade looked out across the cemetery and abruptly stopped filing. "Speak of the devil, here she comes now."

Cameron turned and saw a cortege of superheroes solemnly making its way through the graveyard led by Black Canary, five sidekicks carrying a casket behind her. He didn't see Artemis, however. "Where? I don't see her . . ."

"Sure you do," Jade replied, brushing a leaf off her shoulder. "She's the one in the casket."

Cameron felt the air in his lungs leave in a rush at Jade's words. He and Artemis hadn't been close for a couple of years now, but they'd been close once when they were children given how their dads had been partners in crime for a time. He'd even just seen Artemis not that long ago at the Star City prison. _**(2) **_How could she be dead? And why was her funeral being held by members of the Justice League?

Jade dusted off her hands and shoved off from the tree. She stared at a particular figure in the group for a moment longer than necessary before saying, "Come on, let's go."

"Now?"

"Don't worry, we'll come back later tonight."

"Why? The funeral's taking place now," Cameron said. Isn't that why they'd spent their whole morning sitting in this cemetery? So Jade could see her sister's funeral? So he could too given the connection he and Artemis had? "Why would we come back later?"

"To dig her back up, of course," Jade answered simply. Cameron visibly blanched and Jade rolled her eyes as she turned away. "The only reason we came was to make sure everything is going according to the plan."

Cameron's confusion only grew at her words. "What plan? What the hell are you talking about?" he asked trailing after her. This was shaping up to be the strangest Halloween he'd ever had.

**x x x **

Black Canary led the way with Artemis's mother Paula. The team was behind the two ladies with Artemis's dark mahogany casket in their grip, the rest of the mourners trailing behind them in the procession. Despite the fact that Conner could have easily carried the casket by himself, the rest of the team helped anyway. Artemis had been their teammate and their friend; it was their job to guide her to her final resting place. Conner and Megan held one side, with Wally, Robin, and Kaldur on the other. The sky was cloudy and grey, but with a few words whispered backwards and a wave of her hands, Zatanna parted the clouds far enough to shed a beam of light on the coffin, the lacquered surface shining brightly in the light.

Black Canary suddenly began to softly sing a melancholy song as she marched, catching Wally by surprise. He knew the heroine had a serious set of pipes, but he had no idea they could produce such a beautiful sound given the deafening, migraine inducing screech of her canary cry. He concentrated on her voice and tried to forget the heavy weight of death he helped carry through the cemetery.

_**I remember tears streaming down your face  
>When I said, "I'll never let you go"<br>When all those shadows almost killed your light  
>I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone"<br>But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight**_

_**Just close your eyes**_  
><em><strong>The sun is going down<strong>_  
><em><strong>You'll be alright<strong>_  
><em><strong>No one can hurt you now<strong>_  
><em><strong>Come morning light<strong>_  
><em><strong>You and I'll be safe and sound<strong>_

_**Don't you dare look out your window, darling,**_  
><em><strong>Everything's on fire<strong>_  
><em><strong>The war outside our door keeps raging on<strong>_  
><em><strong>Hold on to this lullaby<strong>_  
><em><strong>Even when music's gone<strong>_  
><em><strong>Gone . . .<strong>_

_**Just close your eyes**_  
><em><strong>The sun is going down<strong>_  
><em><strong>You'll be alright<strong>_  
><em><strong>No one can hurt you now<strong>_  
><em><strong>Come morning light<strong>_  
><em><strong>You and I'll be safe and sound . . .<strong>_

All too soon, they'd reached the freshly dug grave, empty and waiting. Together the five teens placed the coffin atop the mental contraption sitting over the dark hole that would lower the casket down. Black Canary's voice drifted off and all was silent for a moment before a middle aged man with white hair and glasses stepped forward, a weathered Bible clutched between his fingers. His figure was draped in a black cassock with a cincture around his waist and a red stole draped over his shoulders declaring his role as a pastor. He cracked open the worn Bible and began to read.

"We have gathered here this afternoon in God's presence as family and friends to remember the life of Artemis and to commend her soul into the gracious care of our Lord and Savior. We come together in grief, acknowledging our human loss. May God grant us grace; that in pain we may find comfort, in sorrow hope, in death resurrection. We could tell and retell all of the wonderful aspects of Artemis and her life. And it's a good thing that we have these memories. They will be with us forever.

Yet, there is a more important aspect about Artemis's life that I would like to emphasize-an aspect worthy of celebration: her role as a hero.

At this time we are reminded of the fact that we all are mortal, we all have to die one day. Let it be known, however, that cowards die many times before their deaths, but the valiant never taste of death but once. Artemis was as courageous as they come. She'd put her life on the line many times for mere strangers, and in the end, gave her life to save that of another."

Out of the corner of his eye, Wally saw Megan lower her head, eyes cast on the ground. Robin also glanced at the Martian and was surprised to see her eyes, though sad, were dry. He chanced a glance at Artemis's mother and was again surprised to see her eyes dry as well despite the burying of her daughter. Even if she had been a Shadow assassin at one point, she couldn't possibly be that heartless. And he knew Megan thought of Artemis as a sister. He didn't know what their lack of tears meant, but he knew it meant something.

"So, say not in grief that she is no more, but say in thankfulness that she was. In the face of the mystery of death, and given the testimony of Artemis's life of heroism, let us therefore evaluate our own lives. Let us be reminded of the things that are truly important, and continue to put our fellow man before ourselves. Heroes like Artemis are a testimony of the grace and goodness of God. Almighty God, into your hands, we commend the soul of Artemis, while we commit this body to its resting place. Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. Amen."

The pastor closed his Bible and the caretakers moved forwarder and released the mechanism that let the straps supporting the casket unwind, lowering Artemis into the ground. Wally wordlessly watched her coffin vanish beneath the earth. Being a logical man of science, he'd never put much stock in the thought of a higher power or an afterlife. He'd never hoped to be wrong more than now. He stood there long after the coffin disappeared and most of the mourners had dispersed, until his uncle finally placed his arm around his shoulders and led him away.

**x x x **

**Gotham City**

**October 31st, 22:09 EDT **

Artemis awoke with a start as she typically did, gasping for air to fill her long empty lungs. She sat up in a rush and her head smacked into something thick and solid, her body immediately falling back against the soft silk fabric she'd been lying on. She tried to put a hand to the tender spot on her forehead, but her arm was stopped by a hard wall, draped in the same silky fabric she was resting on. She dragged her open palm along the fabric as the reality of her situation crashed into her. She was lying in a coffin, enveloped in darkness.

She was buried alive. It was one of her greatest fears.

The memories of the past few days trickled back to her, and she wondered how long she'd been lying in the ground, how long she would have to continue to do so until the Shadows came for her. She tried to stay calm and collected, but the thought of being stuck in an air tight box under six feet worth of dirt was enough to rattle anyone's cage, and she felt the stifling fingers of claustrophobia begin to squeeze her throat and tear at her heart. Just when she didn't think she could take it anymore, she heard muffled voices and the dull thud of metal hitting wood. There was a pause before the sounds grew louder and more succinct, and suddenly it stopped all together. Artemis reached a hand out to touch the lid of her casket but pulled it back sharply when it began to lift on its own. The first thing she saw was the moon, bright and full above her, grey clouds idly drifting past it. Then a familiar face leaned over the edge of the hole, a bright smirk on his ice blue face.

"Cameron?" Artemis questioned, eyes wide. A second later Cheshire appeared behind him, standing in full costume.

"Welcome back little sis," she said.

She sat up quickly, and Cameron reached his hand down. "Happy Halloween, Artemis. I gotta say, outta all the Halloween's we've spent together, this is definitely one for the books."

She glanced at his chilly fingers for a moment, before she wrapped her hand around his and let him haul her out of her own grave.

Jade glanced at the tombstone. "Artemis Crock. 1995-2010. Beloved daughter; honorable hero. How touching," she cooed. "And a total lie." Artemis glanced away while Cameron brushed the dirt from his pant legs. Jade finally turned to the pair and said, "Let's go you two. Ras al Ghul is a very busy man, and he has big plans for the both of you." She led the way out of the eerie graveyard, Cameron trailing behind. Artemis glanced at her headstone and empty grave one last time with a shiver.

She'd died a hero, and had risen as a Shadow.

_**To be continued . . .**_

**_(1) _**In issue 11 of the tie-in comic, they show Kent Nelson's funeral in Salem (assumedly Massachusetts) on August 21st (two days after the events of ep 7, Denial). All the heroes are shown in costume.

**_(2) _**In issue 13 of the tie-in comic, Artemis is placed under arrest as a ruse to have her encounter Icicle Jr., who is being detained in a Star City prison for his involvement in the July 4th ice attack, in the hope that she can get some intel out of him based on the fact that they know each other through their fathers.

A/N: Ugh, that was a very heavy chapter. Hope I did her funeral justice.

The song at the beginning is _The World Spins Madly on _by The Weepies. The 2nd song used in this chapter is _Safe and Sound_ by Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars. It played during the credits in _The Hunger Games._

_**SakuraJade**_


End file.
